A monochromatic painting of a seated female figure rendered in oil and mineral on cradled wood panel. Loose, expressive brushstrokes work in high contrast between shades of black, white, and gray, stripping the image down to light, shadow, and movement. Skunta made this painting during a season defined by urgency and tenderness as a new mother of two. "Working quickly has become both necessity and intention," she writes. "The monochromatic palette strips the image to light, shadow, and movement. Creation, like motherhood, is immediate, physical, and profoundly present."

SHOP Lauren Skunta