What inspired me in June?
In quiet tones and slower days
As I prepare to unwind for a long summer break, I’m gradually shifting into a slower rhythm. Only a few newsletters will keep me company over the next weeks, hopefully written under the warmth of the summer sun.
June left me reflecting on the quiet power of simplicity. Minimal strokes in art, muted tones in photography, and whispered narratives in film all invited me to look closer and feel more. I found myself drawn to black-and-white expressions, meditative ink lines, and the poetic meeting point of tradition and innovation.
I hope these discoveries will surprise and inspire you just as they did me.
Il Lee (Los Angeles / New York)
I’ve been captivated by the work of Il Lee, a Korean-born painter best known for his sweeping, rhythmic abstractions executed in ballpoint pen, oil, and acrylic. His intricate lines, layered and repeated, distill movement into meditative form. There is something profoundly human in the way his gestures translate into immersive visual experiences. It is a reminder that even the simplest tools can carry deep emotional weight. His upcoming retrospective Energy and Flow offers a glimpse into his ongoing exploration of motion and stillness.
Japanese Prints & Printing Techniques
What fascinates me most about traditional Japanese printmaking is the sheer devotion to craft, texture, and process. These are not just prints. They are time capsules of technique and patience. In exploring presentation ideas for my upcoming Japan project, which is set to launch in 2026, I have been diving into methods like collotype printing by Benrido and polymer photogravure.
A few years ago, I collaborated with Benrido Atelier in Kyoto to create a special edition box of ten collotype prints, released in a limited edition of ten. The quality of these prints, deeply pigmented, rich in detail, and printed on delicate washi paper, left a lasting impression on me. Each print felt like a small artifact, crafted with care and tradition.
This experience rekindled my appreciation for the tactile, slow process of fine printmaking. Whether collotype or photogravure will fit the new project remains to be seen, but the inspiration they offer is already shaping how I want the final work to be felt, not just seen.
Monochrome
This month I watched a beautiful short film on Nowness titled Monochrome, directed by Marie Schuller in collaboration with the National Gallery in London.
nowness.com/topic/art/monochrome-national-gallery-marie-schuller
One quote from the video stayed with me:
“Artists have always had colours at their fingertips. The eyes to see them, perhaps better than anybody else, but still, again and again, they decide to depict to the world in black and white.”
That line resonates deeply. It echoes Il Lee’s restrained abstraction and the quiet precision of Japanese printmaking. There is something powerful about choosing limitation as a form of expression. Monochrome becomes not a lack, but a focus. It sharpens emotion, clarifies intention, and invites silence into the frame.
Book: Atelier by Stephan Vanfleteren
I’ve known Stephan Vanfleteren personally for many years, and my very first art purchase ever was two of his portraits. In my eyes, he’s one of the best portrait photographers to ever hold a camera. His work is raw, precise, and profoundly human.
Atelier is his most recent book and it’s an absolute treasure. Shot over more than a decade in his daylight studio, it brings together portraits of artists, writers, musicians, and unknown characters. All captured in his unmistakable style – rich in contrast, full of soul, against that soft grey studio curtain that has become his signature backdrop.
This isn’t just a photo book. It’s a tactile, slow-breathing experience. A book to savour. To study light, texture, presence. A must-have for any serious photography lover. Get your copy here: https://hannibalbooks.be/atelier
Hope you all enjoy your summer. I will continue sending out some newsletters, as I have a lot of great things still to share with you.
— Bastiaan
Hi Bastiaan,
Beautifully and inspiringly written.
Definitely worth seeing what you've seen and shown us.
Thank you so much for that.
I wish you a wonderful summer
Love Cassandra
Lovely read once again. Atelier is my favorite photobook, and it lies proudly, beaten up, at the center of all my photobooks. I can't wait for his new book! Taking photos of the sea is one of the most difficult subjects in photography, in my opinion. Have a nice day Bastiaan!!