KunsTräume · dreamy art spaces ·

The English term “art space” carries a playful resonance in German – it can also mean “dream space.” So, welcome to my dreamy art space. Here, I present my personal artistic journey, which has always revolved around one central theme, one trauma, one wound:  family secrets . I understand family secrets as the psychologist John Bradshaw described them – their power when kept hidden across generations.

This drives me to uncover even the smallest traces of my past. I express myself in a variety of mediums, and my poetic language is, in a sense, unspoken. I use metaphors, perhaps because, as people from East Germany, we often felt strange expressing certain things out loud. Each piece is an intense exploration of a single subject – home, journeys, objects, Russia and my family there, childhood and healing. Much of my work is about observation, as I have been a keen observer since my earliest years. I wondered whether art would be the right language for approaching these family secrets, but given that it has always been my driving force, I realized it was the only language that made sense for me.

These works come from earlier years. My wounds have only deepened as family members have passed away. I was fortunate enough not to have been confronted by death until later in life, but once it came, it touched me too often and not prepared. Then it felt too heavy to elaborate identity as I did before. Now, I find myself in a constant state of transition – caught between the realms of here and there. My meaning of life and work has changed in response, yet the core of it remains a meaningful and essential part of my existence.