Pictorial Journal #3:
Under the shadow of colonialism
Oil on canvas, 100x120cm
2025
The making of
In May 2025, I visited the Ashmolean Museum to see Anselm Kiefer: Early works. The exhibition showcased a selection of Keifer’s early creations and amoung them, one particular painting called Innenraum (Interior) (see figure 2) drew my attention. The architecture of the building combined with the sombre palette on the painting giving a sense of eeriness. The feeling immediately reminded me of a photograph I had taken last year at the Weston Hall of the British Museum (see figure 3).
When I took that photograph, the Weston Hall was unexpectedly empty. Standing at the bottom of the main staircase and looking toward the surrounding statues, I was struck by the sovereignty of the space. The skylight from the ceiling windows resemble Keifer’s depiction in Innenraum, and both images evoked a shared atmosphere of repression constructed by memory and power.
Figure 1: Anselm Kiefer Early Works Exhibition 2025
Figure 2, Anselm Kiefer, Innenraum (Interior), 1981, watercolour, 9′ 5″ x 10′ 2 3/8″.
Left: Figure 3
Photography: Yaya Lo
Right: Figure 4,
Anselm Kiefer, Innenraum (Interior space), 1981, oil, acrylic, shellac, and emulsion on canvas, 9′ 5″ x 10′ 2 3/8″.
Left: National Gallery Room 34 also has a similar architecture.
Right: A quick sketch of Room 34
pencil on paper
14.8x21cm
In response to my feeling, I began developing a series of smaller sketches inspired by both Keifer’s painting and my photograph. Rather than adopting the same tones of the photograph, I experimented with two limited colour palette in order to stage a tone as my own interpretation and portrayal. To retain a trace of reference of Kiefer’s painting, I experimented with a more pinkish violet tone on one sketch and a brownish purple on the other. Through the studies, I explored how atmosphere and colour can transform the emotional resonance. For instance, the former one gave a sense of playfulness while the other one appeared to be more natural.
Reference:
Schjeldahl, P. (2023) 1982: Anselm Kiefer’s Innenraum, Artforum. Available at: https://www.artforum.com/columns/1982-anselm-kiefers-innenraum-165850/ (Accessed: 01 November 2025).
