Hanna ten Doornkaat primarily works with graphite pencil, building her drawings through the accumulation of countless layered lines. Each “drawing on board” is never conceived as a solitary work or object but as part of an ongoing dialogue within space. For her drawing goes beyond the simple depiction of an object, a mark made on paper, it is as much about the process as it is about a metaphysical expression of an idea.
Drawing is characterised by a line that is always unfolding, always becoming the first mark not only structures the blank board that she draws on but also defines it temporarily, as the drawing’s marks follow one another in time.
This description parallels ten Doornkaat’s drawing process in which the mark is in a constant state of flux and transformation. She describes her “repetitive, dense graphic lines” as a direct response to the fleeting, transient moments of online and social media experiences. Through this, she explores the interplay between movement and mark, and how these extend into spatial formations.
Hanna ten Doornkaat studied sculpture at Kingston University before completing an MA at Wimbledon School of Art (UAL). She is now based in London working from her studio in Kingston.