Kinderhes gemaakt van twee stofdoeken (a) met een losse gehaakte ceintuur (b) c. 1947

Harmina Catharina Baruch-Ponstijn made this child's dress from two dust cloths and a loose crocheted belt, and right away you sense the transformation of the mundane into something precious. The yellow of the dust cloths has a gentle warmth, like sunshine filtered through a window, and the careful stitching that outlines the garment feels both practical and decorative. Looking closely, you can see the handwork in every stitch. The slightly uneven lines of the border feel intimate, a deliberate mark of the maker's hand. There's a beautiful tension between the simplicity of the original materials and the care taken in their transformation. This repurposing reminds me a little of the Arte Povera movement, where artists used everyday materials to challenge traditional art values. But here, there's also a sense of playfulness and love, of making something beautiful and useful out of the simplest things. It speaks to the resourcefulness and creativity inherent in all forms of artmaking.