Schelpen 1937

'Schelpen', or 'Shells', was made by Koshiro Onchi, but we don't know exactly when, using woodblock printing techniques. The colours are quite muted, almost desaturated, giving the work a sense of calm. The central black shape anchors the composition, and it's surrounded by these smaller, playful forms. I'm drawn to the texture, the way the ink sits on the fibrous paper. It reminds me that art-making is about process. It's about pushing and pulling, adding and subtracting. Look at the way the brown shape, maybe a shell, on the lower left, is built up from layers of ink. It's not a smooth, continuous tone, but a series of marks that create depth and complexity. And the blue squiggles at the bottom right, are they waves, or just pure abstraction? It makes me think of Miro, or maybe even some of the later work of Matisse, but with a Japanese sensibility. Art is an ongoing conversation, and this piece is a beautiful contribution.