120 cm x 80 cm woodcut with ink, 120 cm x 20 cm (40 cm together) woodcuts with ink
'Ervaren' and 'Fernweh', from my graduation work 'Fernweh and the concept of Heimat'.
When I came back from traveling, I did not feel at home anymore and I was stuck in unpacking my suitcase. I had recently come back from Berlin, where I had come across the word Fernweh. This word translates to the opposite of homesickness and can be defined by the feeling of wanting to go away. When I researched this word, I found out that it is a certain melancholic feeling: it is an unknown sadness combined with hope for the future, something which can also spark your creativity. Most people will only feel either Heimweh (homesickness) or Fernweh, they co-exist. Another German word that is important in my project is Heimat, which literally means homeland but is actually more connected to a feeling of being at home. Why do I feel Fernweh and what is the influence of my Heimat in this? A melancholic feeling like Fernweh could be used for hope, inspiration and creativity and this was what I tried to use. The concept of a suitcase came up, because it is considered the only stable thing in your life if you are traveling. A person who experiences Fernweh will only close their suitcase to move to another place, while someone who experiences Heimweh will have it stored in their Heimat. I decided to make a suitcase out of woodcuts. The inside of this suitcase represents Fernweh and the outside represents Heimweh.
When I came back from traveling, I did not feel at home anymore and I was stuck in unpacking my suitcase. I had recently come back from Berlin, where I had come across the word Fernweh. This word translates to the opposite of homesickness and can be defined by the feeling of wanting to go away. When I researched this word, I found out that it is a certain melancholic feeling: it is an unknown sadness combined with hope for the future, something which can also spark your creativity. Most people will only feel either Heimweh (homesickness) or Fernweh, they co-exist. Another German word that is important in my project is Heimat, which literally means homeland but is actually more connected to a feeling of being at home. Why do I feel Fernweh and what is the influence of my Heimat in this? A melancholic feeling like Fernweh could be used for hope, inspiration and creativity and this was what I tried to use. The concept of a suitcase came up, because it is considered the only stable thing in your life if you are traveling. A person who experiences Fernweh will only close their suitcase to move to another place, while someone who experiences Heimweh will have it stored in their Heimat. I decided to make a suitcase out of woodcuts. The inside of this suitcase represents Fernweh and the outside represents Heimweh.
