Each home screen has a grid, but you don't need an app in every slot—you can leave gaps. You can tweak the size of the grid too, from Settings: On Pixels, head to Wallpaper and style > Home ...
Customize your iPhone home screen with themed widgets, folders, app icons, and wallpapers for holidays like Halloween or Valentine's Day. Easily move apps around the home screen, create folders ...
This allows you to have a dark wallpaper but light icons ... downwards to exit the editing mode. The Home Screen is not the only thing you can customize with greater freedom in iOS 18.