Young woman's blouse c. early 20th century

This young woman's blouse was made using an unknown process that yields a stunning colour pallete of pink, yellow, red and blue. I like to think the process of artmaking here was a conversation between the maker and the material. Up close, you can almost feel the soft texture of the fabric, as if it's whispering secrets of its past. The colours are transparent and opaque, laid down with a light touch. It reminds me that artmaking isn't always about perfection, but about embracing the imperfections, and celebrating the journey. Notice the flower, a cluster of colour, a burst of energy. I think of Hilma af Klint, who, like this anonymous maker, embraced abstraction as a means of expressing something beyond the visible world. Both invite us to see the world in new and unexpected ways, to embrace ambiguity and find beauty in the unknown.