Blad 8 uit Stamboek van de leerlingen der Koloniale School voor Meisjes en Vrouwen te 's-Gravenhage deel II (1930-1949) Possibly 1930 - 1937

This page from a ledger was made in the mid-20th century with ink on paper, presumably by a school administrator. Imagine the careful hand, forming each letter, each entry a record of a life, a future, and a colonial past. I find myself thinking about the precision and repetition, the rhythmic act of filling in these forms. What was the administrator thinking as they wrote these names and addresses? There is something quite beautiful in the script itself, each stroke made by hand. The handwriting is so delicate and expressive, a visual echo of the thoughts and intentions of the writer, a dance between control and letting go. There is a certain connection with artists such as Agnes Martin. She worked within a grid, and the hand-drawn lines are never perfect, embracing a kind of meditative imperfection. It reminds us that art and record-keeping, like all forms of expression, are always touched by the human hand and heart.