Paintings by Naomi Mikhaiel
Exactly a year ago I left Newcastle and went to Paris. I moved into an
apartment on rue des Poissonniers in the African quarter. Every day on my way
to work I would jostle my way through the makeshift markets lining my street on
pieces of cardboard. Black bananas, black fish and peanuts roasting in tin
cans, "arachide, arachide arachide". Arms holding phones in your way
whispering "galaxy galaxy galaxy” and more men on the corner of Barbès –
Rochechouart chanting "Marlboro, Marlboro, marlboro". Turn onto
Boulevard de Magenta and the African hair salons appear. Mademoiselle!
mademoiselle! Miss? A manicure? no? ...a coffee? Fantastically shiny, diamond studded formal
wear in shops with names like 'Baghdad Wedding' line the boulevard. Tropicana
and tigers crawl across stretch nylon dresses, leopard print everything at Zara
and H&M and I am distracted from my love of lovely limestone and creamy
camembert. There are so many sides to Paris but when I started painting my
subconscious was in a rush to catch this moment in time when the life on my
street converged with fashion boutiques and the Louvre's collections from
Africa and the Middle East. Hip Hop is the new religion and Beyonce is crowned
queen bey 2013
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