Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum

Draft- Scene 45, 2024

‘Draft - Scene 45’ forms part of Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum’s celebrated body of work commissioned for her solo exhibition ‘It Will End in Tears’ at the Barbican Centre’s The Curve Gallery. The series draws from a wide array of influences including classical portraiture, film noir, theatre, and Sunstrum’s own experiences across multiple geographies. With richly layered surfaces and cinematic staging, the paintings explore the complexities of identity, interiority, and the performance of self. Her figures often appear caught in moments of stillness or transition, positioned between visibility and opacity, intimacy and distance.