The Sacred Vessel (The Engraver’s Edition) - Framed

A Portrait of Balance and Openness

"The Sacred Vessel" is piece No. 58. In my twenty years as a maker—first with steel, then with hair—I learned that hands are not just for doing work; they are for holding space. Whether I was cradling a client’s head in the salon basin or carefully holding a finished tool, the gentleness of the grip mattered just as much as the strength.

I created this piece to capture that precise moment of openness. The hands are rising, not to grab or to take, but to receive. They form a cup, a vessel waiting to be filled.

Using the "bank note" engraving style, I focused heavily on the symmetry. The thousands of cross-hatched lines on the left arm mirror those on the right, creating a visual rhythm that feels meditative. It is a drawing about balance—reminding us that in order to receive peace, we must first open our hands.

• The Classic Edition (Studio White): Stripped of all colour, this version is pure form. The high contrast between the dark ink and the white background draws your eye immediately to the negative space between the hands. It suggests that what isn't there—the invisible hope or prayer—is just as important as what is.