Hilmi Şimşek Studio

                                                          Betta Fish, 2019   Sumi-e on paper, 70 × 50 cm    In sumi-e, a painting is not made. It appears.  In 2019, I sat in front of the paper without the intention of creating a finished work. I only wanted to begin and see what might emerge. I picked up one of my thickest brushes and imagined making a few broad marks before adding smaller touches later. But first, I paused. I followed my breath and sat in silence for a short while. The mind slowed down.  As I looked at the paper, a fish appeared. It had not yet passed from brush to paper, but it was already there. Then the brush moved. One stroke, then another. When I lifted the brush, a betta fish was there.  That moment stayed with me because I had not planned the image. There had only been a quiet st...