The magic of anticipation
There are feelings we wish to hold onto.
Long before the moment a gift is opened, there is the precious time before it – when anything still seems possible. When curiosity, hope, and imagination blend together.
Anticipation tells the story of this special mood. Of the magic of expectancy that can accompany us throughout our lives if we are willing to keep our inner child alive.
The story behind the work
'Anticipation' was developed for the exhibition project *Emotions: Packaged* , which made emotions visible and tangible in an unusual way. Textile materials powerfully convey the idea of what is hidden, protective, and personal.
At the center of the artwork is an opened gift.
The cut felt reveals two faces: that of a woman, painted during a challenging phase of life, and my own wondering child's gaze at the first Advent candle. Past and present meet in a digital collage, telling a shared story about the power of anticipation.
Shades of pink and purple evoke the liturgical colors of Advent – a time of waiting and hoping. The golden accents represent those small magical sparks that give us a glimpse of what is to come.
Anticipation knows no age. Perhaps sometimes all it takes is a small prompt to free the inner child from its adult packaging.
The Material as Part of the Message
This work combines traditional wet felting techniques with other artistic media.
The base consists of felted paper, which undergoes an astonishing transformation during the felting process – shifting from a delicate, nearly transparent structure into a vibrantly textured surface.
Hand-dyed Peace Silk was used for the opened gift; it spills out from the inside like delicate tissue paper.
Golden color accents bring light and warmth to the composition, making the surface shimmer with life.
This intertwines material and meaning inseparably: the textile gift opens not just symbolically, but literally.
Making-of
Would you like a peek behind the scenes?
In this short YouTube video, I show how 'Anticipation' was created, and how paper, wool, and silk come together to form a painting.
Overview
Wool painting on canvas
technique: Wet felting, mixed media
Dimensions: 50 × 50 cm
Status: In a private collection