Ocean Thoughts with Suminagashi

In this workshop, we introduced the children to suminagashi, an ancient Japanese marbling technique often described as “floating ink.” Droplets of ink are gently placed on the surface of water, where they expand and drift into delicate, shifting patterns. With a breath, a ripple, or the lightest touch, the surface transforms creating unrepeatable patterns, like currents moving through the sea.

We began by gathering words. Together, the children shared their thoughts, feelings, and associations with the ocean, building a collective vocabulary that moved across all the languages present in the room: Norwegian, English, Portuguese, Russian, and Gaelic. The result was a rich, multilingual map of the sea.

These words then became part of the making process. The children worked into the suminagashi patterns, carefully drawing their chosen words into the flowing forms. Lines of language followed the contours of the ink, drifting and connecting, echoing the movement of water and thought.

These drawings will go on to be translated into etched copper plates, forming a series of prints for the final exhibition, where these shared “ocean thoughts” will continue to move between islands.