An artistic phase defined by a monochromatic palette of blue. A momentary obsession with the bitter emotions that one certain colour can conjure. These are some of the works of Pablo Picasso’s Blue Period. With paintings, we’re often presented with a melange of subtleties; visual codes we’re invited to decipher, codes leading to, perhaps, a deeper understanding of the artist’s intention. Sometimes little narratives are hung beside the exhibited paintings to help guide our eyes and provide context, a suggested way into the idea, that is, if one doesn’t outright present itself.

But what about when it’s the opposite? What about when the artist wants no sense of ambiguity? Picasso is a man dealing with the suicide of a close friend here. It’s a tragedy that does not offer silver linings for those who exist within the inner ring. Life takes on a certain shade in its wake. In a way, the dominant colour is not a part of the scene or image that Picasso is painting, but rather, it is the residue of his perspective. We are looking through his eyes, his experience, his emotions; all of which drown life in tilted shades of bitter blue and sickly green. How do we let others know the prevalent weight of our suffering without words? This is one way.