Eco-printing is a magical technique where you have the juices of plants printed on silk, cotton or paper. I (almost) always use wild, or feral, plants but in this case I made a very special combination.
The composition is built up like a laurel wreath of olive branches. A symbol of eternal friendship, fame and honour. But this is a real Rotterdam laurel wreath: The wreath is made with willow twigs, picked along the river Maas.
The large, golden yellow circles, are antruwa, I call them Surinamese tomatoes. Together with okra's, they form a nice balance with the willow's narrow, lanceolate leaves. Natural pigment, in this case bluewood, gives the beautiful, deep blue background. This creates a work that at first glance looks classic, but with a hearty wink. The dark background is not even, making the plants really seem to stand out.