MARBLE mural wallpaper and prints by Nat Maks

The traditional Japanese Art of Suminagashi meaning "floating ink" involves colours being placed on a water surface, which then begin to expand on the water. They are only encouraged to move by air, nothing else disturbs the surface.
Now German-born designer and illustrator Natascha Maksimovic who set up Nat Maks based in the UK in the seaside town of Margate in Kent, is a master of Suminagashi a marbling technique.  As the colours move in an organic way, Natascha makes a print by placing and moving the paper on the water when a dynamic pattern has been formed.

The MARBLE mural shown above is hand-printed by way of the traditional Japanese Art of Suminagashi. Natascha loves the medium of wallpapers and wanted to take the Art of marbling to a much bigger scale. Each roll is unique. Instead of designing patterns Natascha creates individual rolls of 'paintings' which are in theory a one-off wallpaper print. Each roll is signed by the artist.

Every mural is made by Natascha, prepared and completed by hand, and freely reflect the artist's energy within its pattern, while the colours react differently every time, sometimes getting on in harmony, sometimes fighting for dominance.

An original marbled print of Acrylic colours onto
Artist paper created with the traditional Japanese Art
of Suminagashi,
meaning "floating ink."
Photos from Nat Maks.

Each mural therefore has its imperfections; the colour overlaps, there are clear water markings and gaps within these patterns. It's these imperfections Natascha finds so interesting, not just the marbling effect itself.