Duizend grassen 1903 - 1906

Kamisaka Sekka made this print called Duizend Grassen, in Japan. It's hard to know exactly when, but Sekka lived between 1866 and 1942. There's something so delicate about the marks here, aren’t there? It’s as though each bird and cloud has been placed with a quiet, deliberate breath. The silvery ink shimmers against the worn paper, and this contrast makes the work feel both fragile and resilient. You can see the hand of the artist so clearly—the way the ink pools in places, the subtle variations in pressure. Each gesture feels like a meditation. I’m reminded of Whistler’s subtle nocturnes. Sekka shares this ability to evoke a whole world with just a few carefully placed elements. Both artists teach us to see beauty in the everyday. They remind us that art is an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time. There’s no one right answer, just a multitude of possible interpretations.