As it catches the light, the slight sheen of the silk makes the progression of colors appear seamless. There is a palpable tension between the works' restraint and their hypnotic lushness created by the combination of apparently simple means and the complexity of their creation, both references to the artist's investigation of cultural phenomena and the more immediate curiosity of how seamless color modulations are created.

Visible through the doorway:

From the Rudolf Smend collection: Rare batiks from Java called Blangkons – folded traditional headdresses worn by men.