Created By
Saleh Lô
Oil and acrylic on canvas
Curator
Luke Chapman
In this portrait, Saleh Lô distills his practice of "witnessing as praxis" into its most concentrated form, creating what I recognize as an exemplary instance of ethical portraiture within contemporary African art. The painting refuses the comfortable distance of aesthetic contemplation, instead positioning the viewer in direct dialogue with the depicted child's irreducible humanity. This is not the "pity of the spectacle" that John Berger warned against, but rather a collaborative act of testimony that repositions the Talibé from object of concern to active participant in his own representation. The technical virtuosity—the careful modulation of light across skin, the precise rendering of textile patterns—serves not as mere display of skill but as a form of respect, a visual acknowledgment that this young life deserves the highest level of artistic attention. Within the broader constellation of Lô's Talibé series, this work functions as both intimate encounter and political statement, compelling us to move beyond passive consumption toward what Paulo Freire would recognize as "critical consciousness." The painting stands as archaeological evidence of our current moment's moral failures while simultaneously insisting on the fierce dignity of those who suffer within systems we help sustain.
This oil and acrylic on canvas portrait by Saleh Lô constitutes a compelling synthesis of hyperrealist technique and collaborative testimony, positioning the depicted Talibé child as both subject and co-author of his own visual narrative. The work's material richness—oil's luminous depth layered with acrylic's immediate tactility—creates a surface that seems to breathe with embodied presence. The artist's meticulous attention to physiognomic detail renders each facial feature with an intimacy that transcends mere documentation, while the subdued yet warm palette evokes the golden light of West African afternoons. The child's direct gaze confronts the viewer with an unflinching dignity that refuses the voyeuristic consumption of suffering, instead demanding recognition of his individual subjectivity amid systemic violence. Emerging from Lô's process of interviews and collaborative engagement, this portrait operates within what might be termed the "third space" of cultural translation, where Western artistic conventions encounter the lived realities of contemporary Mauritanian childhood. The work's temporal dimension adds another layer of complexity—capturing a present moment while gesturing toward futures both foreclosed and still emergent.
Created By
Saleh Lô
200 x 180 cm | 79 x 71 in
2025
