The Columbus Museum | Through 7/19 | Columbus, GA

Through the Veil

The Columbus Museum presents the first solo museum exhibition for Baltimore-based artist Monica Ikegwu.

By Alyssa M. Tidwell

The most important element in the artwork of Monica Ikegwu is people. Hands down. And you’ll see this throughout her entire oeuvre—all of her paintings are intimate portraits of people set against vibrant monochromatic backdrops, with the subjects often wearing the clothes to match.

Midpoint, 2025, oil on canvas, 36 x 60 in. Collection of Rebecca Knight.

“When I first started using monochromatic colors in my work, it was an aesthetic way for me to unify the whole image and allow the subject to be the main focus. The less colors you see, the less distractions there are,” says the artist. “Color has impact, and when it came to choosing a color, I would consider how it would complement their skin, how it would reflect off the surface and how it spoke to the subject’s character. Finding that color and then adding it with purpose.”

Embrace, 2025, oil on canvas, 36 x 24 in. Collection of the artist. Courtesy Galerie Myrtis.

An exhibition currently on view at the Columbus Museum in Georgia, titled Monica Ikegwu: Through the Veil, highlights the monochromatic portraiture for which she’s become widely known. The exhibition initially began to take shape after the museum’s 2024 acquisition of Ikegwu’s painting Chidera. After an incredibly enthusiastic response to the acquisition, Ikegwu was invited to put on a full-scale solo show.

“For my show, Through the Veil,you can see that the overall color for all the pieces is blue. This choice to use one singular color is different from my previous work,” Ikegwu explains. “This time, the choice to use blue draws from a biblical reference. In the old testament of the bible there was a veil in the temple of God and that veil had threads of blue. Along with that, the priests that were able to pass through that veil once a year also wore blue. While thinking of this veil, it made sense for the color of the exhibition to be blue. A choice to use color to focus on theme rather than just for visuals.”

100Von, 2025, oil on canvas, 36 x 24 in. Collection of the artist. Courtesy Galerie Myrtis.

Visitors will have the opportunity to experience an intimate and thoughtful exploration of Ikegwu’s work, encouraging us to examine the complex layers of identity in each of her subjects, and by extension, the vast complexities of everyone around us.

“For me, I want the individuals I paint to be seen how they want without influence from myself. Everyone depicted in the show is an actual person, and their contribution is crucial for the success of the final product,” she says. “They have the choice to choose their poses, their clothing, their style and with their input, the works become all the better.”

Kolpeace, 2025, oil on canvas, 36 x 36 in. Collection of the artist. Courtesy Galerie Myrtis.

Highlights in the show include pieces like 100Von, Key to Me and Embrace, as well as larger-than-life works like Eclipse, measuring at 48 by 36 inches, and Midpoint, measuring a massive 60 by 36 inches. All paintings feature backgrounds and subjects in primary blue.

Monica Ikegwu: Through the Veil will be on view through Sunday, July 19, and museum admission is free.

Eclipse, 2025, oil on canvas, 36 x 48 in. Collection of the artist. Courtesy Galerie Myrtis.

“[This exhibition] underscores [the Columbus Museum’s] ongoing commitment to presenting contemporary artists and expanding its collection through meaningful collaborations with patrons and supporters,” says curator Jonathan F. Walz. “Over time, our community has supported the work of multiple artists creating figurative work in a realistic style, from Henry Nordhausen and Bo Bartlett to Amy Sherald and Steven Tette. The work in Monica Ikegwu: Through the Veil offers a contemporary variation on this endlessly fascinating theme. The artist’s exploration of seeing and being seen is particularly relevant for a museum context.” —