Retro 7s 2019

Monica Ikegwu made this painting, Retro 7s, with paint, probably oil, and a canvas. Look at how she's built up layers of colour on the surface, these brush marks, these strokes. Imagine the way she must have coaxed the colours, shifting and emerging through trial, error, and intuition. Ikegwu obviously took the time to render the details of the clothing and sneaker. I can imagine her thinking about the relationship between fashion and identity, and how painting can capture a sense of individuality. It's like she's building a whole world right there on the canvas. The coolness of the palette and geometric shapes remind me of Kerry James Marshall’s interior scenes. Ikegwu is having a conversation with other painters about the contemporary Black experience. These gestures communicate feeling, intention, and meaning. It shows how artists are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. The painting embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations and meaning.