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A stroll through Paris

Published by gertrud

On my way to Berlin I stopped over in Paris to finally see our grandson Lukas. He lives with his parents downtown near the Bastille and so I walked through the narrow streets around there with the stroller. Lifting my head up, I often noted small icons made of mosaic. The small figures they depict often resemble the creatures of early computer games adding modernity to the medieval beauty of the city centre. They are small often just discovered by a quick gaze up a building making you smile as they are colourful and cute.

A couple of weeks later this beautiful mosaic at the entrance of the SoHo house in Paris tumbled into my inbox. I so much appreciate friends sending me their mosaic discoveries.

Floor Mosaic at the entrance of SoHo house Paris-45-47 Rue la Bruyère – photograph Austin Romeo

Floor Mosaic at the entrance of SoHo house Paris-45-47 Rue la Bruyère – photograph Austin Romeo

Austin wrote about his impression of the mosaic: “cool minimalist, gestural mosaic – I think it is a super lovely piece”

 

The sky of Brasilía in Beijing

Published by gertrud

 

I am always intrigued if it is possible to depict something so imaginary, untouchable and lofty like clouds with the rigid and physically palpable, coming from earth material that we use to make mosaic – stone, glas and ceramic tile.

Sky of Brasilía, 60x60cm, 2019, marble, natural stone, Vidrotil

In this work I used bass relief technique to bring even more depth into the image. Working with hard material who’s hight I can easily influence makes this technique possible.

In the container that left Brasilia End of February 2019 was the unfinished “Sky of Brasilia” mosaic – well wrapped and crated.

End of 2019 after setting up my studio in Beijing I finished the sky, grouted the mosaic with different coloured grout and framed it. 

After having exhibited the “Sky of Brasilía” in 2021 at the Caicifang porcelain studio in Beijing just south of Tiananmen Square, the Brazilian embassy in Beijing offered to add it to their art collection.

It was my last great moment in Beijing to hand the mosaic to the Brazilian ambassador to China Mr Paulo Estivallet de Mesquita and his team in a small ceremony. The gentlemen were genuinely interested, looked and touched the tiles and discussed the process of making such a work. Then we sat and signed a document of handover.

I am very happy that the sky of Brasilia is now being looked at by people that know what it means:

“O ceù e  o mar do Brasilía” –  “The sky is the sea of Brasilía”  Expression by Lucio Costa, city planner of Brasilia

My work in China – a retrospective

Published by gertrud

Dear friends,

I have physically moved to Berlin now. It’s exciting to be in my home country.  However as always when I move I will not have a studio for at least half a year as my tools and materials are in transition in our container somewhere between Tianjin and Hamburg. I also notice that my soul is still in transition too. The memories from Beijing are kicking in often.

Therefor I would like to use this coming weeks to tell you about my work in China. Back there I was using Chinese social media to tell my friends in Beijing about mosaic and my work – therefor this website and my Instagram account didn’t get regular updates.

My studio was flourishing in Beijing – I wouldn’t have thought I would get so beautifully busy in all areas of my work – my solely crafted mosaics, the workshops and the community mosaic murals. I have the feeling the years in Beijing were the peak of my career.

Let me tell you one after the other. ..