Peter Hujar "Eyes Open in the Dark" at Raven Row, London

“My work comes out of my life. The people I photograph are not freaks or curiosities to me. I like people who dare.” - Peter Hujar

Whether a person, a dog, a blanket or a turkey, Peter Hujar (1934-1987) photographed his subjects with the same sensitivity and depth, unveiling their humanity and vulnerability. Hujar's currency was honesty, a filter through which he looked at both life and death. Often joyless yet oddly peaceful, his iconic portraits are infused with extraordinary intimacy and tenderness. They are beautiful, brutal, poignant and downright heartbreaking.

Peter Hujar: Eyes Open in the Dark, Raven Row, London, until 6 April (do not miss this!)

#peterhujar #photography #blackandwhite #london #artblog #beyondthecanvasblog

Self Portrait (with a string around neck), 1980

Blanket in the Famous Chair, 1983

Face of a Dog (Clarissa Dalrymple's Dog, Kirsten), 1984

Paul Thek, 1975

White Turkey, Pennsylvania, 1985

John Heys in Profile (White Shirt), 1985

Photo credit https://peterhujararchive.com/

Saskia Colwell "Skin on Skin" - Victoria Miro, Venice

The relentless and vomit-inducing (not so) merry-go-round that is the world these days has all but obliterated my desire to engage with art. The way events are unfolding has left me in a numb daze - but as long as Venice exists, so does hope.

Saskia Colwell's Skin on Skin blurs the line between sculpture and drawing. Using charcoal on vellum, her works play with perception, turning pearlescent folds of skin into something both succulently familiar and seductively surreal. Marble-like bodies and voyeuristic close-ups of fragmented forms evoke a breathtaking erotic tension suspended between intimacy and power.

Beyond the pristine technique, I was struck by Colwell's work for its boldness. The unflinching and intensely sensuous depictions of her own body render flesh with a Berninian intensity that strongly resonated with my aesthetic DNA.

Unsurprisingly, all works were sold.

On view at Victoria Miro until March 15th.

#SaskiaColwell #VictoriaMiro #Charcoal #ContemporaryArt #Venice

Mask Off, 2024

The Throne, 2024

The Cheerleader, 2024

Turning the Other Cheek, 2024

All images © Saskia Colwell

Tesfaye Urgessa, Palazzo Bollani - Venice Biennale

‘My aim was to create a group of figures engaged in unknown activities, intentionally leaving the situation ambiguous to the viewer. I intend to evoke a sense of being scrutinised and potentially prejudged in the minds of viewers as they see my paintings.

My intention is to encourage viewers to confront their own biases and preconceptions as they engage with my artwork.'  - Tesfaye Urgessa

I hate to break it to you: art is NOT going to save the world. But it will 100% nourish our souls, open our eyes, and remap the landscapes in our minds, expanding our ability to see and feel beyond visual perception. It will also make us feel grateful for its existence, and lucky we are able to experience it.

All of the above was very much true for me during my encounter with Tesfaye Urgessa's art, an Ethiopian artist I knew nothing of (thank you Kat Mellor for the tip!). His visual language incorporates the iconography of his native country along with a clear nod to traditional figurative painting and German Neo-Expressionism (Urgessa lived in Germany for 13 years where he formally trained at Stuttgart's Academy prior to returning to Addis Ababa). This approach gives life to a truly distinctive style that mesmerises and resonates in equal measure. No, make that 65/35.

I was particularly struck by Urgessa's colour palette. Warm earth tones, olive greens, mustard yellows, somber greys, and countless hues of dusty fleshy pinks. I kept going back to each painting following colour and ended up discovering new details and powerful brushstrokes. It is impossible not to engage with these canvasses, which are inhabited by solemn naked figures looking back at us. There is a stillness and a dynamism to these settings, they exude both familiarity and discomfort. Urgessa's paintings are beautiful, surreal, comforting, chaotic, mysterious, confusing, probing and inspiring. Yes, they are all of these important things, and I would urge you to go see them at Palazzo Bollani before the Biennale closes on 24/11.

#tesfayeurgessa #painting #venicebiennale #venice #contemporaryart #artblog #beyondthecanvasblog