Composition

Composition is a bold orchestration of color, movement, and coded memory. In this 16 x 20 inch oil painting, John C. Ndupu constructs a radiant yet fractured visual language — one steeped in the rhythmic legacy of Nsibidi and the abstract grace of Uli symbolism. A vertical divide cuts through the canvas like a spiritual axis, bisecting an energetic symphony of textures and hues.

Here, chaos is intentional. Vivid reds collide with blues, greens, and oranges in cyclical bursts, mimicking the tensions between structure and release, past and present. Grooved textures, spiral motifs, and linear glyphs evoke ceremonial mark-making, while layered brushwork simulates both erosion and rebirth. As part of John’s Aggressive Ulism tradition, this piece is less about literal representation and more about encoded feeling — an emotional score in color and form.

The result is a visual rhythm you don’t just see — you feel it pulsing beneath the surface.