are the epitome of freedom, lightness & the beauty of nature”

Obviously the sea has had a big influence on your work, where does that influence come from?

Back then, I regularly went to the North Sea with my father during the school vacations. We have a house there, on the island Sylt. This is where I also live and work now.

The typical vacation day consisted of breakfast and then five to six hours of beach time. So I had early contact with various sea and beach creatures that fascinated me as a child. On the North Sea, that include crabs, algae, mussels, and of course jellyfish. You can find different species, such as the moon jellyfish or the compass jellyfish and also the stinging jellyfish. The latter causes unpleasant, painful stripes on the skin due to its tentacles. In any case, once you have had contact with it, it remains in your memory.

It was common that as children we fished the jellyfish out of the sea with our nets. Then they were all thrown into a pit on the beach. When the pit was full, a thin layer of beach sand was put on top. So you couldn’t see the jelly pile underneath. We had a lot of fun watching how every now and then an adult sank into the pit, screaming and cursing... Until I fell in once myself. This is how my love for jellyfish really developed - all fear of contact was lost.

How are your personalities or influences reflected in your art?

I grew up in Berlin and am accordingly very familiar with the night and club scene there. Actually, every club is a dive into another world. You meet bizarre creatures, mystical figures and dancing beings. Loud iridescent fish and floating jellies. A group of people can appear in the face of darkness like a sea of souls. The flowing movements of bodies merge into waves in the light. I am fascinated by everything that is strange and unfounded. A little break from reality is good for everyone and leaves room for imagination. Probably my jellyfish pictures are a snapshot of these night walks. A deep sea voyage into a self-created alien world.

What is your background and how has this influenced your style and way of working today?

I am a big city plant with everything that goes with it. I was born in 1991 in Berlin-Charlottenburg, my parents have separated when I was one year old. I grew up with my mother and my father I saw mostly on weekends. We moved from Charlottenburg to Steglitz, from Steglitz to Spandau and then from Spandau to Neukölln. Here I spent my early youth. I moved out at 16 because of tensions in the family. My need for freedom as well as my own development was always very big and I am a clear stubborn person (credits to my dad). My early independence strengthened my character and taught me to go my own way.

My product design studies at the Weißensee School of Art allowed me to reinvent myself once again. Ultimately, I don’t work in this field, but my time there opened new doors for me and showed me what I want/what I don’t want. I love my work as an illustrator and the positive response to my art, shows me that I am on the right track.

What is the best piece of advice you have received and how has it affected your career/work?

On the whole, I do not like to listen to advice and usually try out everything myself first, or like to make mistakes and learn from them. I think it’s good to do what scares me and grow from it (doesn’t always work, of course). I would pass on this advice in exactly the same way. Falling down is part of it, getting up can be practiced. However, I am personally still working on accepting help and see the cooperation with other people as enrichment. You don’t have to do everything alone and it’s okay if you can’t do everything. Talking to others and making contact makes it easier to move forward professionally.

What goals and plans do you have for the future?

Always starting new projects. The feeling of stagnation makes me restless and encourages me to look for fresh tasks. The collaboration with Kuriosis got the ball rolling and I am grateful for this opportunity. In fact, a book on hot to breed jellyfish is currently in the planning stage. It will explain even to the beginner from scratch how jellyfish keeping works and what has to be considered. Recently I had my first exhibition with the Cologne underwater photographer Marcel Panne. More exhibitions with reference to the sea and its inhabitants will follow. I like to dream big and would like to expand my collaboration internationally. My goal is to spread the fascination of “underwater” through my art and at the same time draw attention to the need for protection of this unique world.

In your opinion, what role does art play in the home and in our everyday life?

Art breathes life into a space. Nothing gives a city, an apartment, a wall more personality than visions, moments, dreams in the form of images and objects. Art inspires and is an essential mode of expression. It triggers sensations and creates atmosphere. Its diversity is limitless and opens the possibility of immersion in any desired situation.