9:14 am - February 12, 2025
Finding Her Voice in the Art World
Somaya Critchlow’s artistic journey began with a pivotal moment during her art school days. When a tutor compared her work to David Hockney’s glam-realism, she felt disheartened, realizing this wasn’t the path she wanted. Her passion lay in the human form, but this clash with the conceptual art she was studying, coupled with her feminist upbringing, led to an internal conflict. Her early struggles were marked by a desire to break free from the constraints of modern art education and forge her own identity through her art.
Embracing Renaissance and Finding Style
Critchlow’s affinity for Renaissance art became her anchor. She found inspiration in masters like Titian and Velázquez, whose rich palettes and techniques shaped her work. Her choice to focus on the nude form, particularly of Black women, was a deliberate counter to the art world’s trends, blending historical techniques with contemporary themes. This unique approach led to her debut at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, where her exhibition, "The Chamber," became a defining moment, bridging old masterpieces with modern narratives.
The Chamber: A Personal and Public Expression
"The Chamber" serves as a metaphor for the personal and public spaces women inhabit. Influenced by Angela Carter’s "The Bloody Chamber" and Walter Sickert’s essays, Critchlow’s work explores the tension between the intimate and the societal. Her nudes are not mere objects but participants in their own narratives, exuding power and agency. The exhibition’s setting allowed her to embrace storytelling and challenge traditional views of purity, instead exploring darker, curious aspects of human experience.
Artistic Journey and Challenges
Critchlow’s career has not been without hurdles. Her solo show during the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with heightened awareness of race, leading to a surge in interest in her work. However, she grappled with the institutional rush to include Black artists, fearing tokenism. Her response was to delve deeper into her craft, rejecting easy labels like "reclamation" and instead capturing the complexity of her subjects—beautiful yet menacing, challenging face-value interpretations.
Themes and Interpretations in Her Work
Critchlow’s work is a mosaic of themes: race, gender, and the politics of representation. Her nudes, influenced by 1960s and 70s Black porn culture, blend sensuality with strength. Critics note the duality in her subjects, who are neither passive objects nor overtly seductive, but active participants in their visibility. This duality reflects her exploration of the darker aspects of human curiosity and the rejection of imposed purity.
Influences and Legacy
Drawn to unconventional subjects, like Velázquez’s court dwarfs, Critchlow finds beauty in the overlooked. Her dedication to mastering historical techniques, evident in her earthy tones and texture, has earned her critical acclaim and the attention of key institutions. Championed by figures like Hilton Als, her work is recognized for its forceful presence and narrative depth. As she continues to explore the forbidden, Somaya Critchlow carves a unique path, merging past and present to redefine contemporary art.