This series of black ink drawings is influenced by the Japanese art of Sumi-E, a practice introduced to Japan by Zen priests. Rooted in simplicity and clarity, Sumi-E—literally meaning “black ink picture”—emphasises economy of line and the expressive potential of emptiness. Created through a meditative approach, the drawings emerge from a quieting of the mind, allowing the body to move freely and intuitively across the white paper, capturing form and feeling in their most distilled state.
This series of abstract drawings was created using domestic household brushes with ink and water. Sweeping the surface with water first, the ink is then allowed to bleed into the marks, breathing and shifting across the paper in a fluid, organic motion. The process is immediate and intuitive—each drawing capturing a fleeting moment. Made in a trance-like state, the work channels the natural rhythms of wings, feathers, carp and hair through the gestures of the body, becoming a quiet performance in itself, with the resulting marks serving as its trace.
Silver leaf is used to introduce lines of stillness and resistance, creating a subtle tension as they pull against the flow of movement across the surface.