Zeeroute 1903 - 1906

Kamisaka Sekka made this print, Zeeroute, and I’m really drawn to the approach to mark making. It has a quality that’s intrinsic to artmaking; a sense of being alive. The color is really quite something, isn't it? That muted grey, almost moss-like, forms a kind of stage for the silvery characters. It's not just about what the words say, but how they sit on the page. Notice the physicality of the medium, the way the ink seems to float above the surface. It’s translucent and somehow obscures the process and invites you to lean in close and have a good look. Look at the title itself, those larger characters. They have this gorgeous, uneven texture. It's like Sekka is reminding us that art is not just about a perfect image, but about the beauty of imperfection, about the human hand leaving its mark. It reminds me of some of the work of Cy Twombly, actually, that beautiful dance between writing and pure abstraction. The whole thing is an invitation, isn't it? A reminder that there's always more than one way to see.