Onderstel van een kast naar ontwerp van Mathieu Lauweriks c. 1910

This is a photograph of a cabinet base, designed by Mathieu Lauweriks. Now, looking at this image, I find myself thinking about the idea of what is hidden or revealed in the design process. The surface of the cabinet is adorned with these fascinating rosette patterns, like mandalas cut in light wood, set against the darker grain. I’m drawn to how these circular motifs break up the more rigid geometry of the cabinet itself. It’s like Lauweriks is playing with our expectations, softening the structural form with these delicate, almost ethereal shapes. It brings to mind the work of Hilma af Klint, who, like Lauweriks, used geometric and organic forms to represent hidden realities. Both artists, in their own way, invite us to contemplate the unseen forces that shape our world, reminding us that art is not just about what we see, but also about what we imagine.