Kwabornament c. 1890 - 1922

Johanna van de Kamer made this ‘Kwabornament’ drawing, probably in the early 20th century, and it's all about the process of seeing and making. I love how the graphite marks build up this strange, symmetrical design. It feels both organic and architectural, like some kind of weird plant-building hybrid. You can almost feel van de Kamer working through the drawing, trying out different lines and densities to find the form. Look at the way the shading varies from soft smudges to sharp, decisive lines. There’s a real physicality to it, a sense of the artist’s hand moving across the page. I see an echo of Art Nouveau in the sinuous curves, but also a kind of personal, almost obsessive quality in the repetition of these forms. It reminds me a little of Hilma af Klint, another artist exploring hidden worlds through pattern and repetition. In the end, this piece reminds us that art is a conversation, an ongoing exploration.