Wass good dummy 2018

Monica Ikegwu’s "Wass good dummy" is a painting that dives headfirst into a sea of blue, creating a world where color and subject blend. The mark-making here is so smooth and deliberate. Ikegwu works with thin layers of paint. It's like she's gently coaxing the image into existence, rather than wrestling it onto the canvas. Look closely at the background, this pattern, a kind of blue echo, like wallpaper, but slightly off, slightly hypnotic. The blue of the puffer jacket is so tactile you want to reach out and feel that synthetic smoothness. The blues are not just blues; they are moods, temperatures, attitudes. This painting feels like a conversation with someone like Barkley L. Hendricks, who captured his subjects with such cool precision and unflinching gaze. Just as Hendricks, Ikegwu sees the world through a contemporary lens. The title is playful and enigmatic, creating a space for multiple readings. It makes you think about the nature of representation and the dialogue between the artist, the subject, and us.