Zilverreiger 1925 - 1936

Ohara Koson made this woodblock print of a heron, around the turn of the century. It's like he's captured a fleeting moment in nature, when this snowy bird paused in the shallows, perhaps looking for a snack. I imagine Koson, carefully carving away at the block, thinking about what he wants to emphasize. Those irises look heavy somehow, weighted down with colour. And see how he makes the rippling water? So simple, a few strokes, yet it conveys so much. You get a sense of stillness but also movement – the gentle flow of the water, the heron's patient watchfulness. It makes you think about the relationship between the artist, the subject, and the viewer, right? Like, Koson saw something, felt something, and then he made something. We look at it and bring our own experiences, our own feelings. It's a conversation across time and space, and that’s why art matters.