Kalule may have made this piece in 2002, when his career was just beginning, but it stands out as one of his remarkable compositions. It is the picture of a couple whose peace is about to be interrupted by someone (or the thought of someone) who is knocking on the door. In such a setting it could be anyone – a debt collector, or an intrusive neighbor, or even a ghost. In Do Not Disturb, as in much of Kalule’s work, there is the recurring motif of three figures usually in disagreement or at odds, underscoring a key aspect of the lived experience. Yet Kalule’s paintings, rich with texture and color, also charm because he paints with the freedom of a child.
