Held

The work

A square that holds its own weight.

Warm grey across the linen, then a single charcoal mass scraped into the centre with the long edge of a knife. The mass reads as a held breath: dense at the core, soft at the edges, never quite resolving.

Three weeks of work, five layers, two of which were removed entirely and remade. The square format is intentional — the painting does not want to be read left-to-right or top-to-bottom. It wants to be met head-on.

Hangs well on a narrow wall where it is the only thing — a stair landing, a foyer, the wall opposite a bed. Square format reads larger than its dimensions suggest.

Specifications

What you are buying

Year: 2026
Edition: One of a kind
Medium: Acrylic, palette knife
Support: Belgian linen
Dimensions: 100 × 100 cm · 39¼ × 39¼ in
Orientation: Square
Framing: Wooden float frame, included
Weight: ≈ 4.2 kg
Ready to hang: Yes — D-rings fitted
Signature: Verso, lower right
Finish: Acrylic varnish, matte
Archive number: ESSIVE-2026-003

At home

How it sits in a room.

Studio view · daylight

Detail · close range

Studio note

On the centre.

The mass is not exactly centred. It sits 3 cm above the geometric centre, which is where the eye expects it to be when the head is tilted up at the wall — not when you measure with a ruler. We measured both.

Authenticity

Numbered and recorded.

essive.

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY

ESSIVE-2026-003

Signed and dated on the reverse · Hand-numbered certificate of authenticity included in shipping
Recorded in the studio archive · Lifetime authenticity guarantee · On resale, the studio will issue a new owner-of-record certificate at no charge.

Logistics

Shipping & returns.

Ships in a custom-made wooden crate, fully insured to declared value. Lead time is 5–7 working days for packing. Transit is 5–10 days within Europe, 7–14 days to the United States, 10–18 days elsewhere. All export documentation is handled by the studio.

The displayed price includes worldwide shipping. Import duties and local VAT are not included where they apply (typically EU import VAT 5–9% on art, UK 5%, US 0% on original works). We can issue a DDP (delivered duty paid) quote on request.

14-day return window from delivery. The work must be returned in original crate, undamaged, fully insured by the buyer. Refund issued within 7 days of the work arriving back at the studio. Trade purchases and commissions are non-returnable.

Photograph the crate before unpacking fully and contact us within 48 hours at hello@essive.art. We will issue a full refund or replacement, no questions, and arrange free return collection.

The oxidised copper will continue to deepen for the first 18 months under indirect light, then stabilise. The white and taupe are archival pigments and will not shift. Hang out of direct sunlight and away from radiators; avoid humidity above 65%.

Yes. The studio takes a limited number of commissions per quarter. Pricing scales with size, lead time is 8–12 weeks plus a 3-week cure. Email the studio with intended dimensions, palette preferences, and target room.