Her gaze is calm, observant and intense. Though she looks not to seduce but mostly to penetrate.
At Wise the gaze is raised not just to look but to see.

Thousands of stitches together, with different movements, capture the energy radiating from the soul in the eyes. Combining abstraction with precision, this work offers a powerful contrast between raw materials and delicate details.

The choice of jute as a carrier is essential. This coarse, natural, earthy material symbolises solidity, honesty and roughness. The irregularity, the rawness of the fabric reflects an inner image of wisdom: not smoothed or perfect, but shaped over the years.

Not all surfaces are stitched shut. There are open spaces left, deliberate fragments of emptiness. This is precisely what makes her powerful. The invisible is meaningful here: we never fully see the other person. Wisdom is also in what remains unsaid and unseen.

This tension between visible and hidden, between hard and soft, makes Wise to more than a portrait.

This work is on display and also available through art gallery Unit4Art in Gouda.