Kristina Rothe

Papermaker | Leipzig, Germany

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Sculpting in paper

Kristina creates urns and vessels from handmade paper
She uses plant fibres as her basic material
She was shortlisted for the Loewe Craft Prize 2017

It was a lucky coincidence that Kristina Rothe found her way to the material that would have a long lasting effect on her creative practice: paper. During her studies at the University of Applied Arts Schneeberg “the papermaking course was a rather marginal proposition”, but for her it was a revelation. Entranced by paper, she spent most of her student days in the paper workshop, refining her knowledge and pushing the material's limits. As a result of this immersive process she was shortlisted for the Loewe Craft Prize in 2017 and for the European Prize for Applied Arts in 2018.

Interview

How did you develop your sculptural abilities?: I spent time with paper artist Helmut Frerick, who taught me how to produce various types of paper from plant fibres, which changed my understanding of paper and opened my eyes to its diversity. He also showed me ways of sculptural shaping and gave me space to experiment.
What is your technical secret?: I combine traditional techniques of papermaking with rather innovative aspects. The foundation of my work is traditional paper pulp made from plant fibres, but instead of scooping the pulp out of the water to create paper sheets, I manually apply the pulp to a mould.
What remains hidden from the eye of the beholder?: The beholder only sees the final object and usually has little idea of the process that led to this form. Only I witness the transition from plant fibre to fibre pulp, to the application on the form, and finally to the object. It is intriguing to experience the same material in completely different states.
Is your craft losing relevance?: Considering the number of professional paper mills and papermakers, I would definitely say yes. Even I don't practise the classic papermaking craft. But papermaking is still practised semi-professionally a lot.

Kristina Rothe is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2006