A series of interviews with creative people in Berlin

Thanks to a post in a Facebook group for Israeli women, I got to meet 

, an artist living and creating in Berlin. After I dropped Robin off, I drove from the quiet residential neighborhood where his Kita is located, to the center of Berlin’s oh-so-popular Friedrichshain. This area is known to be very cool, alternative and artistic, and it is the exact opposite of our south-western neighborhood, both in vibe and physical location. That made me extra excited to visit Anna’s exhibition, for which she collaborated with 

, right in the center of the architecturally impressive Frankfurter Tor.

I was immediately attracted by the location, as well as the colorful and interesting three-dimensional pieces inside the gallery. I always respond to installations that allow you to see the pieces from different angles and walk around them. My experience at the exhibition, titled “A lying sun”, was made extra special thanks to the amazing actual sunlight that came in through the large glass doors, and the soft and delicate movements of the fabrics that were part of the art pieces, both creating a magical ambiance.

Afterward, we sat down for some mediocre coffee, but awesome conversation, in a gorgeous cafe, which seemed like it was frozen in time, thus providing us with an amazing vintage atmosphere.

I’m currently focusing on creating 3D digital images and printing them on different materials. I use primarily two-dimensional surfaces, like paper and textiles, to make three-dimensional forms and installations. I studied fashion design at Shenkar college for engineering and design in Israel, worked as a designer and a stylist, and taught design. I still love this field and these days I design costumes for dance and stage productions. That enables me to continue exploring textiles and textures while avoiding the polluting aspect of the fashion industry and mass production. I created costumes for the show Girlanda performed by The Batsheva Ensemble. last year I collaborated with the choreographer 

 fellowship program, which connects Jewish artists living in Berlin, and I recently worked with 

In the past, I was a street artist, creating under the name Foma, and in 2011 my work was showcased as a part of a street art exhibition at Helena Rubinstein Pavilion for Contemporary Art in Tel Aviv. Painting on walls is still something that I do, but nowadays I do it commercially for firms, restaurants and hotels that hire my services, and as a collaboration with interior design studios, such as the Israeli Yaron Tal and Studio Mu. You can see my art at the Urban loft hotel in Berlin, The Voco Düsseldorf Seestern, Benedict restaurants, the NYX Herzliya hotel, and two Mindspace office spaces in Israel, to name a few.

Tell us a bit about your professional journey, what led you to do what you do?

I studied art in school, and later, in college, studied fashion design to direct that interest towards an actual profession. After graduating, I was looking for another form of creative expression and was looking to explore the emotional aspects of my journey as an artist, so I turned to street art. However, I found that it had certain limitations, such as the conceptual and physical materials that I had to work with. That made me transition to installations, which is my favorite creative outlet. I enjoy creating spaces that can be both seen and experienced.

Could you share a bit about your relocation to Berlin? When, why, how?

I moved to Berlin four years ago, and all of my friends were already living here. I realized that Berlin offered me more artistic opportunities. Here I can physically experience current exhibitions of artists from all over the world, which is much more exciting and inspiring than seeing it only online.

Has Berlin or the experience of relocation changed your art/design in any way?

In a way, I moved here to allow myself to start over artistically, and that takes away the pressure of the comparison. At first, I closed off, and it took me a while to process my materials again. But I am really happy with what I’m currently doing and I feel that I have more freedom here.

I like to go out and enjoy Berlin’s nightlife. I also explore nature, flea markets and exhibits.

What is an essential tool/instrument for your daily work?

A free and open-source program for 3D models named 

. It makes processes, that used to be very time-consuming, much easier and more accessible. I use it to take photos using my phone and then transform them into 3D models, without needing years of modeling or coding experience. It’s really amazing.

The second part of my collaboration with Katharina Trudzinski will take place in 

 in Tel Aviv this spring. The first part, which you visited, was showcased in Berlin’s Gallery im Turm a couple of months ago. Both exhibits form a connection between the physical surroundings of the two galleries. I used 3D scans of the public spaces around them and created surrealistic collages of imaginary landscapes. My idea was to explore the way we perceive and remember the public spaces around us, and how our external environment becomes our inner environment.

I really enjoy collaborating with other artists and feel that it produces unexpected things. I think a certain way, and suddenly someone else comes along and brings something new to the creative process. Katharina and I both have backgrounds in fashion and textiles, and similarly. we both use two-dimensional materials and transform them into three-dimensional objects.

Can you share one big dream or aspiration of yours?

Anything to recommend to our community? Book, movie, series, exhibition…

, who I also met during my fellowship with LABA. She is collaborating with Jens Brand and they are showcasing kinetic sculptures with sound at the 

 in Berlin. You can catch it until February 4th 2023.

Creatives in Berlin - Anna Mirkin

As I was walking from my car to the Cafe where the current exhibition of 

 was showcased, I realized that the last time that I interviewed anyone in person was before we moved to Berlin, meaning over 4 years ago. And boy, did I miss it! Sitting down with interesting people, talking about art, design, architecture, entrepreneurship, life in Berlin, and life in general, is really one of my favorite things.

As I told Itamar and his work and life partner Shir, his work spoke to me immediately. It is so delicate and relatable, thought-provoking and highly sensitive, artistic and yet could very easily fit in many different spaces. Itamar and Shir are travelers and entrepreneurs, and in Berlin they went on a journey to explore their passion for the craft of embroidery and make it their own

Contemporary three-dimensional embroidery.

I am a self-taught artist and my work combines thousands of years of embroidery traditions with different techniques, some of which I developed myself, all to create a new and contemporary language of three-dimensional embroidery pieces. Each piece tells a personal and cultural story, using natural objects as inspiration. I find that nature is global and relatable, and I use it as another form of vocabulary to create a representation that evokes different emotions and feelings.

, for example, depicts two sticks on different stages of the decay process. It’s small in scale but represents large concepts such as life and death, as new life is already emerging from the sticks in the form of fungi and mold. The entire natural cycle is represented by this specific snapshot. People find it very moving and see themselves in it. For instance, a couple who were expecting their first child saw it and immediately expressed their desire to add a third stick to the piece, because they could see their future family in it.

In general, I portray the aging, dismantling, decaying and rotting processes in nature, and not so much the blossoming and growing. I find it aesthetically appealing, and relate to the idea of accepting those difficult changes as a natural part of life. That said, I believe that every depiction of a part of this course, contains and represents the cycle as a whole.

Another aspect of my work concerns the common perception of embroidery as a craft, while I consider it art and treat my pieces as such. Traditionally, this was a craft carried out mostly by women, who created napkins, tablecloths and other objects for the home. I treat my pieces as fine art - I frame them behind glass, in white minimalistic picture frames, with passe-partout, and also create an illusion that the piece is hovering inside. All of that plays a role in the story that I am trying to tell.

Along with my partner Shir, I traveled the world and lived in different places for over a decade. We were always fascinated by traditional crafts and cultures and visited local markets and museums, but still haven't done it professionally ourselves. Embroidery was always a part of our lives. Both my mother and Shir's grandmother, who were and are very significant parts of our lives, did embroidery. During our travels, we noticed how global this craft is, and how different cultures have been using it for thousands of years as a storytelling platform. During our travels, we used to carry with us fabrics and threads so we could embroider our experiences, just like a journal.

Only when we arrived in Berlin three years ago, I started experimenting with it professionally. My first project was a combination of embroidery with 3D printing. It was at the beginning of the pandemic and it was a bit too innovative and different. It didn't really take off, but we learned a lot from that experience.

My current project emerged instantly while we were visiting Austria with friends. Beautiful pebbles by the river bank caught our attention, and as we were playing with them and creating different shapes and structures, the thought of making an embroidered pebble came to my mind.

When we got back to Berlin, I started learning, experimenting and exploring materials and techniques. Even though the first attempt wasn't yet polished or refined, it was clear that there was something there. The juxtaposition between the weight of the stone and the lightness of the threads, and the texture that formed, were very interesting to me. I spent hours on the sewing machine, using and developing different techniques to create the hovering effect and three-dimensional shapes. I was overwhelmed by how expressive and esthetically beautiful this technique and medium is, and people immediately responded to it. The pieces resonate with the viewers on different levels - emotional, conceptual and esthetical, and depict many contradictory aspects and principles that I find fascinating, such as traditional and contemporary, stiffness and softness, and beginnings and endings.

Could you share a bit about your relocation to Berlin? When, why, how was the experience?

After a decade in the Americas, we wanted to explore a country that is a bit closer to Israel, our home country. In 2019 we spent a week visiting friends in Berlin and experienced an amazingly vibrant summer. We don't consider ourselves urban people, but we love throwing ourselves into different and challenging situations. The same goes for the decision to pursue art professionally - we've never done it before, but why not give it a try? In both cases, we decided to go all in and see what happens. We reinvented ourselves in every place that we got to, and in Berlin we became artists.

Even though we are not big fans of city life, we do really love this city, and we fall in love with it even more the longer we are here.

Berlin itself is a part of my art. The natural objects that inspire my pieces may look like they came from the forest, but in fact I found them on the city streets, sidewalks and the backyard of our building. Except for the pebbles, all the elements originate from the city. My pieces tell the story of contradictions, and this adds another layer of that.

I take the time to read, study history and archaeology, travel and spend time with my friends.

My vintage-made-in-Germany sewing machine. I use a combination of hand stitching with freehand machine embroidery, which is similar to freehand drawing or painting, and is not limited only to straight lines like traditional use of a sewing machine.

 until November 26th and participating in a group exhibition titled 

 between 3-19/11/2022. On top of  that we are preparing for the Christmas art fairs and applying for various art competitions.

To make a living through my art, which is no easy task. I would also like to go bigger in the scale of my pieces and take this technique further. It is already extremely expressive, but I believe there is always room for growth and improvement.

Travel. Always and for as much time as possible. Take a year to explore and really get to know another culture. No book on a country could ever compare to actually living in that place.

 account to check out more of his incredible work.


Tag: Interview