Untitled
2001
Ink and acrylic on canvas
152.5 x 213.5 cm (60 x 84 in.)
Private collection (courtesy White Cube, London)

Through large-scale, turbulent and charged canvases, Mehretu addresses the fluidity and complexity of the forces of globalization, which lead to dislocation and re-imaginings of space and place within contemporary society. Using ink and acrylics, the artist creates a multilayered landscape of maps, architectural designs and urban forms to question the stability of identity and the relationship of individual to community within a global village. Her broad and bold strokes of color are contrasted with intricate attention to line and detail as she demarcates the spaces of diaspora.