Kristina Rothe

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.

Kristina Rothe specialises in a number of techniques ranging from mould making and impression techniques to paper casting. She draws on structures and surfaces in her immediate environment as continual sources of inspiration, in particular architectural designs and vessels. She creates her paper following traditional techniques, using paper pulp from plant fibres. However, she innovates this age-old technique by applying the paper paste directly to three-dimensional moulds rather than scooping it out with a sieve to make paper sheets. The transition of vegetable fibres to an object form fascinates her. From the vegetable to the pulp and finally the form, the material remains the same.

Kristina Rothe first discovered paper work at university, where there was a room dedicated to paper sculpting. Her studies placed an emphasis on textile techniques, with paper creation courses being rather marginalised. Kristina jumped at the opportunity to try working with paper and knew she wanted to dedicate herself to paper work from her "first contact". Kristina’s internship with paper artist Helmut Frerick left a lasting impression and mark on her creative paper work. Among other things, he taught her how to make various types of papers from plant fibres. This fundamentally changed her understanding of paper and its diversity. He also showed her different ways of sculpting and provided her with a lot of room to experiment.

Magnae Chartae Exhibition