Stofontwerpen 1890 - 1946

This 'Stofontwerpen' artwork, probably a book, was made by Kamisaka Sekka, and it's now at the Rijksmuseum. You can really see the hand in this piece, the way the brushstrokes have a mind of their own. I am drawn to the cover and its textures. The beige colour has an earthy feel, that contrasts against the stark dark ink. It looks like a well-worn book, something that has been handled and loved, with the texture of the paper fibres being rough, you can really see the physicality of it. The off-white oval, reminiscent of an egg, creates an emptiness around the characters, making the dark ink stand out and draw you in. Thinking about other artists, it reminds me a little of Cy Twombly, in the sense that both explore the expressiveness of mark-making and embrace imperfection and ephemerality in their work. To me art is all about seeing the world in new ways, and leaving room for multiple ideas.