Small modern mural with motif shell / original Suminagashi / abstract contemporary art / Annette Mewes-Thoms Original handmade Suminagshi Internal dimensions 19 x 19 cm / Outer dimensions 30 x 30 cm Year of origin 2019 Artist: Annette Mewes-Thoms This picture was taken in a very old Japanese technique. For a Suminagashi, fill a tub with water and drip the paint onto its surface with a brush. In this way, round surfaces and circular rings can be created. For a while, everything floats upstairs. It is now in the hands of the artist to change the resulting circles by blowing, stirring or other actions. Each artist develops his own special technique for this. When the motif is ready, place a piece of paper on the surface of the water. This absorbs the color in itself and motif appears on paper. A Suminagashi is never repeatable in the same form and thus the capture of a unique moment. The exact origin of this technique is unclear. It is believed to date back to the 10th century. For more than 400 years, it was only allowed to be used by the upper class in Japan. It was not until 1582 that it was accessible to the general people under Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In the 17th century, this unique technique came to us in Europe.