The Magic of Anticipation
There are feelings we want to hold on to.
Long before the moment a gift is opened, there is that precious moment beforehand—when everything still seems possible. When curiosity, hope, and imagination come together.
Anticipation captures this special feeling—the magic of waiting, which can stay with us throughout our lives if we’re willing to hold on to our inner child.
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.
The centerpiece of the work is an unwrapped gift.
The cut-open felt reveals two faces: that of a woman, painted during a challenging phase of her life, and my own childlike, wide-eyed gaze at the first Advent candle. Past and present come together in a digital collage, jointly conveying the power of anticipation.
Shades of pink and purple evoke the liturgical colors of Advent—a time of waiting and hope. The golden accents represent those little magical sparks that give us a glimpse of what is to come.
Anticipation knows no age. Sometimes, all it takes is a little nudge to set the inner child free from its adult shell.
The Material as Part of the Message
This work combines traditional wet-felting techniques with other artistic media.
The base is made of felted paper, which undergoes an astonishing transformation during the felting process—from a delicate, almost transparent structure to a vividly textured surface.
Hand-dyed Peace Silk was used for the opened gift; it spills out from the inside like delicate tissue paper.
Golden accents bring light and warmth to the composition and make the surface shimmer with life.
In this way, the material and the content become inseparably linked: the textile gift opens not only symbolically, but also literally.
Behind the Scenes
Would you like to take a look 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.
An Overview of the Artwork
Wool painting on canvas
Technique: Wet felting, mixed media
Dimensions: 50 × 50 cm
Status: In a private collection