Letter "K" Possibly 1953

Harry van Kruiningen's "Letter 'K'" is rendered with delicate lines and a monochromatic palette. It conjures an eerie, otherworldly figure, part human, part plant, and I am immediately curious about the artist and his making process. Imagine van Kruiningen, pen in hand, coaxing this strange being onto the page. Was it a spontaneous act, or a carefully planned endeavor? The figure itself is a study in contrasts: its human-like torso gives way to spindly roots that anchor it to the ground. The head, with its half-formed face and radiating lines, feels like a site of internal struggle. A branch extends from its shoulder, leaves sprouting like hopeful gestures. I wonder if van Kruiningen saw himself in this hybrid creature, rooted in the earth, reaching for the sky. He made the work at a time when the world was undergoing great change, and perhaps, in his own way, van Kruiningen felt like he was a conduit for these creative energies. Much like other artists, van Kruiningen seems to ask, how can we create images that embody the anxieties, joys, and complexities of being alive?