HUG

This 2024 drypoint, titled in uppercase, suggests a subject defined by closeness and physical form — two figures or shapes in contact, or a single organic form that encloses or enfolds. Drypoint's tactile line quality, produced by dragging a needle directly across a metal plate, is well suited to conveying warmth and softness through the velvety ink deposits left by the raised burr. Saito likely works with overlapping curved forms, using the natural pressure variation of her scratched lines to distinguish interior from exterior space. Classified under nature subjects, the work may abstract the concept of embrace into botanical or biomorphic shapes rather than literal figuration. The title's uppercase styling implies deliberate emphasis, consistent with work that treats emotional content through formal means. As a drypoint produced in a numbered edition, each impression carries slight tonal variation as the plate's burr diminishes — early pulls will show the richest darks.