Story Place: My Father's Country 2005

Sally Gabori made this painting, *Story Place: My Father's Country*, using what looks like acrylic on canvas, and the way she stacks and balances these shapes—ones that almost look like puddles or pools, or maybe even stones—is so satisfying. There's a real sense of joy in the process of applying the paint. Look at the way she layers the colours. The paint isn’t overworked, and the textures and physicality of each brushstroke remain visible. Gabori isn't afraid of a bit of roughness, which gives the painting such a fresh feeling. The bold colours—reds, blues, yellows, and pinks—create a vibrant energy. Take a look at the bottom right, there’s one of these 'puddles' where you can see these rhythmic rings of colour, layered on top of each other: white, then blue, then pink. It reminds me of children's art, but with a depth and confidence that comes from a lifetime of experience. The way Gabori plays with shapes and colours reminds me a little bit of some of the later work of Etel Adnan, another artist who found painting later in life. But in Gabori's case, it feels like something entirely her own.