2025 11”h, 15”w gouache, collage, and coloured pencil
This piece draws inspiration from a recent stay in the Netherlands, where the landscape reveals a deep cultural relationship with both nature and control. The work explores the visual and symbolic parallels between two distinct Dutch practices: the art of espalier, in which the limbs of Linden trees are meticulously guided into precise, ornamental shapes, and the nation’s sophisticated systems for managing water—its canals, dikes, and sluices that choreograph the movement of water across a land reclaimed from the sea.
I layer textures and forms that echo these themes of regulation and flow. The composition juxtaposes organic elements—tree limbs, roots, and ripples of water—with lines that suggest scaffolding, irrigation maps, or pruning frames. Through this interplay, I reflect on the Dutch ethos of balance between yielding to natural forces and mastering them, and how this balance shapes both the landscape and the psyche of place.
Related
- Gouache
- Hand colouring
