Once upon a time

The ruins of three castles in the Wachau valley are roughly drawn on tissue paper, collaged onto the old, found embroidery patterns, and then further defined using graphite, gouache and ink. The fragile embroidery sheets are backed on Chinese calligraphy paper. There is a collaborative quality to these pieces across time: at least one pair of hands has already worked on the embroidery patterns before they became the background for the series Once upon a time. The gradual build-up of layers (of both paper and pigment) evokes tactility, storytelling and the passage of time.

This series was created during my 11-week residency in Krems, Austria (AiR Lower Austria).