Handslag 1925

Jo Bezaan made this woodcut, Handslag, at some point during her career, using stark contrasts to convey a vivid scene. I love how Bezaan carves away at the block, leaving these bold, graphic shapes. It's like she's wrestling with the material, embracing the roughness of the process. The dark areas feel dense and heavy, while the white spaces crackle with energy. Look at the way she renders the faces, all sharp angles and deep shadows. The handshake itself feels tense, almost confrontational. Then you have the goat looking like he’s about to bolt. Bezaan's work reminds me of the German Expressionists. She knew Käthe Kollwitz. There's that same sense of raw emotion, that willingness to push the boundaries of representation. But Bezaan brings her own unique voice to the conversation, creating images that are both unsettling and deeply compelling. Art is never a solo act. It's always a dialogue, a call and response across time and space.