“Did you have any of those cocktails? They were lethal. I feel dreadful, but it was so fun!” It’s 11 a.m. the morning after the opening party to celebrate “New Shapes,” Sahara Longe’s first solo show at esteemed London gallery Timothy Taylor, and the artist is nursing a hangover. But it’s a happy one. “I had a great time!” says Longe. Even a sartorial disaster on the night didn’t dampen her mood. “Oh my God,” she tells me conspiratorially, “So you remember the Vivienne Westwood dress I was wearing? I knew it was too small but I bought it anyway. And then yesterday I hugged someone and the zip popped. I suddenly felt this release… It was awful,” she adds with a chortle.
At 29, Longe, known for her semi-abstract figures painted in rich tones, is fast becoming one of the hottest talents on the art scene, with insiders touting her as the next Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. In fact, the expectations for “New Shapes” were palpably high, particularly considering that Longe’s solo booth at Frieze last October was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. To wit: everything sold out.
