Hasani Sahlehe
We embraced, we laughed, we ate. Your body no longer exists. I often wonder
where you are. Have you found paradise? Are you amongst the clouds? Are
you with the ghosts that my great-grandmother used to tell me about? They
say that humans exist in body, spirit, and mind. Perhaps your little notes
still contain your consciousness. Maybe, whenever I quote you, you breathe
again. How much of you did I capture in that portrait from many years ago?
You are not that painting. But like you, paint functions in multiple states.
The material can be cast, poured, stained, or even airbrushed. The medium’s
sundry properties reveal parallels between person and paint. The simple suns
and rainbows that I render ponder the mysteries of this physical world, a
callback to the Indigenous art of long ago. These vibrant motifs borrow the
power of light. Their emphasis on the body of paint reminds me of you, their
essence constantly expanding.