Ink on archival paper
20 x 18 cm (7.9 x 7.1 inches)
Framed
In this intimate ink drawing, Studio 198 explores solitude, symbolism, and restrained absurdity through a pared-back visual language inspired by Philip Guston's late figurative works.
Executed in black ink on archival paper, the composition presents a hooded, rock-like figure rendered in deliberate, unembellished line. Sparse cross-hatching and confident contour work give the form weight without excess. The presence of a hanging light bulb, a simple wooden ladder, and a small cluster of flowers introduces quiet narrative tension — objects that feel at once ordinary and symbolic.
The drawing embraces reduction. Negative space dominates, allowing the figure to exist in a psychological rather than physical setting. The restrained palette heightens the emotional undercurrent: contemplative, slightly melancholic, yet edged with subtle humour.
At 20 x 18 cm (7.9 x 7.1 inches), the scale reinforces intimacy. This is a work that rewards close viewing — where the nuance of line variation, the pauses in ink, and the balance of composition reveal themselves gradually.
Presented framed, the piece maintains a disciplined, gallery-ready presence while retaining the immediacy of a direct hand-drawn mark.
This is a one-off original.