The show by Moses Salihou at Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Rencontres Émotionnelles is a heartfelt work of art that grows from a sense of community. The paintings are inspired by a recent trip the artist took to Cameroon, his home country. The exhibit twists the traditional conceptions of what a portrait should be by incorporating and interlacing abstract and figurative styles. The colourful paintings depict intimate familial and homey scenes; these spaces, with the help of Salihou’s abstract style, manage to feel private and personal while still allowing visitors to see themselves reflected in the anonymous figures.
Installation view of Moses Salihou: Rencontres Émotionnelles at Nicholas Metivier Gallery
The swirling textural strokes of paint afford the paintings a dynamic movement and fluidity. The bright colours and varying brushstrokes are a visual reflection of all the different parts and fabrics that build up every single figure. There is a wonderful maximalism in every brushstroke that paints the narrative of the individual depicted. While the brushstrokes may appear random upon first look, after engaging more deeply with each subject, viewers come to realize that every brushstroke, every colour chosen, was deliberately placed and intentionally set.
Moses Salihou, Portrait Number 4, 2025, oil on canvas, 48 x 36 inches
The scenes depict intimate settings, often representing time among friends and family in moments of quiet resemblance and connection. The anonymity of the figures represented in each portrait allow the narratives to maintain the purity of intimacy of these encounters. The form of every individual is clearly discernible, but their facial features are not. The figures are obscured by the intense and thick brush strokes that conform their shape. The anonymity of the subjects allows for the paintings to act as mirrors and for viewers to see themselves represented in the scenes.
Installation view with Moses Salihou, Le Dernier Jour
The works range from extremely personal works, like those that depict Salihou’s parents, to more community and culture-based pieces. I particularly enjoyed the work titled Special Day where two women braid the hair of two girls. There are so much culture and identity embedded into the work and still it manages to be relatable and to represent a variety of different people.
Moses Salihou, Special Day, 2025, oil and acrylic on canvas, 60 x 60 inches
Other works that I found particularly beautiful were L’Amour D’une Mere and Chaleur Maternelle 2 that both deal with the warmth found in the love and embrace of mothers. The narrative is based on culture and identity, but people from different realms of life can relate to it too.
Moses Salihou, L’Amour D’une Mere, 2025, oil on canvas, 24 x 18 in
The pieces that I admired the most were Dada and Baba, the two large portraits that represent the artist’s parents. Together they form one image, but Salihou chose to represent them in two different compositions. It is a common familial scene where a mother and father sit side by side with their kids in front of them. The colours with which Salihou dresses the figures and the variety of hues that fill the background make the works visually delightful. I particularly appreciated that you could discern the various patterns in the fabrics. It amazed me how much emphasis and care seems to be placed on every stroke, every movement.
Installation view with Moses Salihou, Dada (left) and Baba (right), both 2025, acrylic on paper, 40 x 32 inches
Despite being abstract forms, the culture and care Salihou has embedded into the works is still very much appreciated. The paintings tell a story of culture through the subjects and through the fabrics worn by the individuals. Every brush stroke gives a narrative of home and community that Salihou is trying to relate to the public.
Colour, texture, community, culture and intimacy would be the words I would use to describe the show with just a few words.
Text and photo: Sofia Diaz Aguilar
*Exhibition information: Moses Salihou, Rencontres Émotionnelles, September 6 – 27, 2025, Nicholas Metivier Gallery, 190 Richmond Street East, Toronto. Gallery hours: Tue – Sat, 10am – 5pm.