Different shades of black – On Sofia Wilkman’s art

“There is a black which is old and a black which is fresh. Lustrous (brilliant) black and matt black, black in the sunlight and black in the shadow. For the old black one must use an admixture of blue, for the matt black an admixture of white: for the lustrous black gum (colle) must be added. Black in sunlight must have grey reflections.” Those words of the master of the art of the Japanese woodcut, Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), tell us in concrete terms how black can be a colour with many faces. It can be used to depict very many different atmospheres and visual entities. The art of the Japanese woodcut was a powerful influence on modern currents in art from the 19th century onwards.

The elements of space, light, silence and materiality have been present in Sofia Wilkman’s paintings at various stages in her career. When she has used colours, they have taken the form of monochromatic backgrounds or small highlights. The green, violet or purple backgrounds act as affective strata onto which viewers can project their own emotions.

Wilkman has, however, returned again and again to varying degrees of black-and-whiteness and grey.