Seven Herbs of Early Spring 1909 - 1910

Kamisaka Sekka made this screen, Seven Herbs of Early Spring, sometime in the early twentieth century. The clean, crisp blocks of color are really beautiful. There's something so fresh about the way these little sprouts are arranged. The texture here is so interesting, I can really see the grain of the woodblock. I love how Sekka layers the colors to create depth and shadow. It’s like a dance between flatness and volume, you know? Look closely at the way the leaves overlap; each one has its own little personality. And the colors! The muted greens and the creamy background give it this dreamy, ethereal feel. This piece reminds me a little of some of Matisse’s later cut-outs, where he's also playing with shape and color in such a joyful way. It makes you think about how art is always talking to other art, across time and place. It's an ongoing conversation, and that's what makes it so exciting!