Emma Talbot on Huma Bhabha

Emma Talbot selected What is Love (2013) by Huma Bhabha when asked to pick a work from the David and Indrė Roberts Collection to discuss in relation to her own practice.

Bhabha’s painted sculpture, which could just as easily be an alien from the future or symbol of an ancient past, forms the basis of a discussion about time travel and the way both artists imbued their works with with feeling and tie the personal up with events in the wider world.

What is Love (2013) is a totemic representation of a body, at a towering 2 meters high and 30 centimeters deep. It is carved from cork from the torso down and the head and shoulders are made from small squares of Styrofoam that have a greenish hue.

Emma Talbot lives and works in London and works primarily in drawing, painting and installation. She studied at the Birmingham Institute of Art & Design and the Royal College of Art, where she is now also a painting Tutor. In March 2020 she won the eighth Max Mara Art Prize for Women, which will result in a solo exhibition at The Whitechapel Gallery in London and Collezione Maramotti in Italy, both in 2022. 

Have questions, comments or want to see more of what DRAF does? Reach us via davidrobertsartfoundation.com, @draf_art and subscribe to our newsletter!