Rising Waves 1909 - 1910

Kamisaka Sekka made this image of ‘Rising Waves’ with ink and colour on paper. Look at how Sekka has conjured up these huge, almost abstract waves. The forms are so simplified. I can imagine the artist moving his hand across the paper, searching for the perfect curve, the right balance between energy and calm. There’s this dance between representation and pure form. The silver moon behind the wave is especially subtle and kind of haunting. It makes me think about the way Japanese artists like Hokusai depicted water – that famous ‘Great Wave’ is so iconic. But Sekka does something different here, there is an interest in pattern rather than pure representation. It feels more modern, closer to abstraction. It reminds me that every artist is in conversation with those who came before, riffing on old themes and finding new ways to express timeless ideas.