Brullende tijger 1900 - 1945

Ohara Koson made this print of a roaring tiger, we don't know exactly when, and it's now in the Rijksmuseum. You can almost hear that tiger screaming, right? Imagine Koson, sleeves rolled up, carefully layering inks to build up the textures of fur and moonlight. There's something kind of beautiful about how this image can be both ferocious and delicate at the same time. I think the tiger seems to be saying: I am present, I am alive, but there is a subtle vulnerability about it too. It is such a subtle play between strength and fragility. You know, artists are always talking to each other across time. I think the way Koson uses line and color reminds me of some other artists -like Franz Marc- who were also trying to capture the raw energy of animals. For me, painting and printmaking is about staying in the moment with the material, embracing the unexpected, and finding new ways to connect with the world.