In my art, I have always worked with the reinterpretation of earlier art and photographs. One of the most influential and well-known projects began many years ago. As a child, I received a small Bible card during a Christmas celebration at our local church. The card featured a painting of Jesus in paradise, surrounded by butterflies and flowers. I found the card very beautiful as a child, but when I rediscovered it as an adult, I began to wonder. Could I do something artistically with this rather kitschy expression of faith, transforming it into something new? It seemed rather sad to have Christ imprisoned in this saccharine paradise, so I contemplated what would happen if I set Him free. This contemplation led to several series of works: “Sacred Pilgrims,” “The Cobblestone Gospels,” “The Mirror of Heaven,” and the large series from which the featured work is derived: “The Nativity.” For me, it became deeply meaningful and intriguing to merge the sacred figures with photographs of our everyday surroundings. It felt as though these two realities questioned one another, attempting to unite and infuse meaning into each other.

In my upcoming project at the Magnus Hirschfeld Collection in Berlin, I will also work with historic material, and the resulting artworks will be some form of reinterpretation. However, the exact appearance and content of the artworks will reveal themselves as the creative process unfolds. I am hopeful that the results will surprise me!