Toma Stenko, 2023, acrylic and digital print on canvas, 105 x 78cm

From a new series of hand portraits. It is amazing how personal a story these “hand portraits” tell.

The hands are a photograph reproduced as a digital print onto the acrylic-on-canvas background. They tell the story of the sitter whose face is out of view and whose essence is captured by the dancing, vibrant colours in the background.

These are the hands of a Sultana with an extraordinary life story, a woman who studied - and excelled - at sciences and medicine in mid 20th century UAE, and continues to be a leading cultural figure in the region.