You and Me us never part, Makidada 2021

Lanise Howard's painting "You and Me us never part, Makidada", shows two figures in a garden scene, bathed in a soft, dreamlike light. Imagine the artist’s hand moving across the canvas, coaxing these figures into being, one brushstroke at a time. The skin tones, achieved through careful layering and glazing, create a luminous effect. The surface is smooth, almost seamless, which adds to the ethereal quality of the scene. The way the hands are rendered—one gently touching the other's hair—suggests intimacy and connection. I wonder if Lanise was thinking about memory, about the ways we hold onto moments and relationships, when she was making this. There's a tenderness here that reminds me of other painters who explore interiority, like Alice Neel, but with a contemporary sensibility that feels distinctly Lanise's own. It’s like she’s inviting us into a private world, a space where emotions linger and stories unfold. And, like all good paintings, it stays with you long after you’ve walked away, whispering possibilities and inviting new interpretations.