Plate c. 1936

This plate, by Helmut Hiatt, is like a little world made on a humble object. The landscape in the middle and the shells around the edge remind me of making art: building something layer by layer, bit by bit. The colors are muted, almost ghostly, which gives the plate a dreamy feel. Look closely at the border, you can almost feel the texture of the shells, see how they're not just painted on but seem to pop out. That kind of attention to the material, the physicality of the thing, is what gets me excited. It makes me think of some outsider artists who build up surfaces with whatever's around, turning the everyday into something magical. Hiatt's plate feels like that – an invitation to see the world in a grain of sand, or maybe a shell. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t have to be fancy or loud; it can be quiet and still hold a universe.