SHANGHAI: Sumi/Shuimo turned into fashion design print (Igor Dobranić Summer 2017 Collection) 2016

Alfred Freddy Krupa’s Sumi/Shuimo painting became the print for Igor Dobranić’s summer collection in 2017. I imagine Krupa in his studio, working with ink on paper. These brushstrokes are super bold, right? They slash across the fabric, creating this dynamic tension between the soft, flowing garment and the strong, decisive marks. I am drawn to how he balances chance and control. Look at how the ink bleeds and pools in some areas, while other lines are sharp and precise. It feels like a dance between intention and accident. Maybe he was thinking of earlier ink painters? Definitely the tradition of East Asian calligraphy. What I appreciate is the open-endedness of this, it’s an exchange between painters across time, with all of us bringing our interpretations and experiences to the mix.