In a harmonious blend of art and nature, Susanna Bauer crafts exquisite sculptures that are as intricate as they are ephemeral. Each piece begins with something as simple as a fallen, dried leaf, serving as both canvas and co-creator. Bauer’s astute eyes catch these delicate remnants of nature, their fragile forms whispering tales of time and transformation. With a deft hand and considerable patience, she embellishes these leaves with meticulously crocheted lace patterns, turning them into ethereal artistic expressions. The juxtaposition of her intricate lacework against the leaf’s natural fragility invites an exploration of the tender relationship between nature’s transient beauty and human creativity. This interplay offers a fresh perspective on embracing the imperfections and transience of our environment and our connections with it.
Her work transcends mere visual appeal, resonating on an emotional and intellectual level. Each sculpture becomes a meditation on balance, vulnerability, and resilience, elegantly demonstrating how fragility can coexist with strength. As the lace threads intertwine with the leaf’s delicate structure, they symbolize the complex web of human emotions and connections. Inevitably, Bauer’s creations reflect on broader themes, such as the intricate relationships within our environment and the fleeting nature of life itself. The profoundness of her work lies in its ability to transform everyday natural objects into poignant reflections of human experiences, urging observers to reconsider their interactions with the natural world and recognize the beauty in its, as well as their own, vulnerable yet enduring stories.
Found leaves are repaired, embellished and combined using handmade lace crochet – a laborious traditional technique relying on tension, set in direct relationship to the fragile natural material. The resulting forms are a meditation on the beauty and intricacy found in the natural world and a reflection of complex and tender relationships both within ourselves and our environment. There is a fine balance in my work between fragility and strength; literally, when it comes to pulling a fine thread through a brittle leaf or thin dry piece of wood, but also in a wider context – the tenderness and tension in human connections, the transient yet enduring beauty of nature that can be found in the smallest detail, vulnerability and resilience that could be transferred to nature as a whole or the stories of individual beings.
Susanna Bauer
More info: Website, Instagram, Pinterest.
