Small Waves 1909 - 1910

Kamisaka Sekka made this 'Small Waves' piece with what looks like watercolor and ink. There's a real sense of calm, almost a hush, that comes from the limited palette, all beige and soft grays, and those delicate wave marks. It’s like the painting is whispering to you. Look at how Sekka uses layers of thin washes, how the colors bleed softly into one another. It’s not about a photographic likeness, but about capturing the feeling of water, the movement of light on the surface. And those wave marks! They’re so precise, so rhythmic. It’s almost meditative, the way they repeat across the surface. It reminds me a bit of Agnes Martin's grids, but with water! There's a connection to the natural world, and a sensitivity to the materials, that feels timeless.