Created By
Saleh Lô
Oil and acrylic on canvas
Curator
Luke Chapman
In La Pause, Saleh Lô orchestrates a profound exercise in “witnessing as praxis,” compelling us to meet the sitter not as a symbol of victimhood but as a co-author of their own narrative. The nuanced depiction of posture and gesture—especially the deliberate articulation of the hands—speaks to a moment suspended between agency and constraint, resilience and reflection. Visible in the careful interplay of light across their blue trousers and the striped shirt is a dynamic tension that resists reductive readings and confronts the viewer with the persistent socio-political conditions faced by Talibé children. Exhibited as part of the Mwimbi and Artbridger collaboration in Hong Kong, La Pause acquires an expanded geopolitical resonance, echoing the broader themes of transnational circulation and complicity that underscore Lô’s entire project. This painting demands a sustained ethical attention, positioning the viewer within a global network of sight and responsibility where aesthetics serve as a conduit for critical engagement rather than passive consumption.
La Pause by Saleh Lô is a powerful oil and acrylic on canvas painting within the Talibé series that melds hyperrealist precision with tactile expressivity. The seated figure dominates the composition with a commanding presence, their posture and gaze conveying a complex narrative of endurance and introspection amid conditions of systemic marginalization. The artist’s refined handling of light and texture renders the folds of the vibrant clothing and the nuanced anatomy of the hands with remarkable dimensionality, inviting the viewer into an embodied encounter. The interplay of bold colors—especially the deep blues and contrasting reds and greens—creates a vivid yet measured visual rhythm that situates the sitter within a liminal space where individual identity intersects with collective memory. This work extends Lô’s investigation into collaborative portraiture, imbuing the subject with agency and dignity through a process that foregrounds both materiality and meaning.
Created By
Saleh Lô
140 x 115 cm | 55 x 45 in
2025
