Six Cover Drafts and Two Languages
After the summer break in 2022, I returned with several projects on the desk. One of them had begun with a small YouTube video of my calligraphy: an invitation to write Chinese characters for a book to be published in China.
The client, Sonatabook, then asked me to illustrate a volume of poems in German and Chinese. Someone also ordered a calligraphy shown in the video—a story I wanted to tell separately. Altogether, there were three requests for book projects. I was pleased, but also unsure how far to pursue them. They take time, and time is a precious commodity for me.
A Book of Theodor Storm’s Poems
For the first project, I made eight cover drafts. These are the six I liked most. I tried works from different areas and periods of my painting, as well as arrangements of leaves and flowers. At this stage, they were still rough proposals.
I was not entirely sure whether the designs worked; my taste is not always mainstream. So far, though, the people involved seemed to like them.
Inside the Book
I also sketched possible page layouts, which the publisher received enthusiastically. The project was close to my heart: a book in German and Chinese, intended for Chinese-speaking readers with an interest in German.
The plan at the time was to present the book at a major German book fair later in 2022. Bacopa had expressed interest in publishing it together with Sonatabook. That was a particular pleasure because a fruitful and friendly relationship had developed between Walter Fehlinger—“Mr. Bacopa”—and me.
Other Work on the Desk
Meanwhile, a Chinese television report about my exhibition in Chongqing had been arranged, with filming on site and a conversation with me over Zoom. It fell through during the COVID-19 restrictions there. I hoped another opportunity would come.
I had painted less than usual, but felt that some works had moved forward. A few took me further into the ethereal, while others continued along a more surreal path. This painting belongs to my “Toward the Light” series.
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