Something Split and New 2013

Njideka Akunyili Crosby made "Something Split and New" with acrylic, collage, and transfers on paper. Look at how she balances figuration with fields of flat color, creating a vibrant, immersive atmosphere. I love how Akunyili Crosby’s works feel like these open-ended narratives. You can sense her moving things around, layering images, and making adjustments, almost like she's sifting through memories. What was she thinking when she put that patterned dress against the orange couch, or assembled the images on the wall and floor? It gives me a sense of her personal history and cultural references, and makes me wonder about the conversations and relationships of the people depicted. The materiality of the work feels very present, from the smooth surfaces to the embedded photographic elements. Akunyili Crosby is in conversation with artists like Kerry James Marshall and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. Ultimately, she invites us to engage with painting as a form of embodied expression, embracing the ambiguous and uncertain.