Letaru often mixes oils, paints and inks together and, in an inverse motion of the Japanese marbling technique, applies the mixture to a surface. The result is often surprising – and interesting aesthetically. This piece is one of many that typify Letaru’s intellectual tussle with colonial legacies, particularly the scars left over from slavery, and she executes her work as thoughtfully as any Ugandan artist at work today. Letaru insisted this piece was still a WIP, a work in progress, and the collector tried unsuccessfully to convince her she was wrong. Thought-provoking and beautiful, this piece can stand – or rather hang – on its own.
