Leaves are one of nature’s most fragile creations. However, that isn’t stopping German artist Susanna Bauer from using them as a main material in her art practice.
Meticulously working with a thread and needle, Bauer transforms leaves from different trees into intriguing crochet artworks. Depending on the project, the artist will sometimes create complex and captivating lacework on the edges of the leaves, almost giving them a crocheted frame.
Other times, Bauer will use threads to highlight their networks of veins, join different leaves together, or completely transform their shape.
Bauer creative process includes collecting leaves, washing them, and hanging them out to dry for several weeks. She doesn’t treat the leaves with any kind of chemicals to make them stronger and instead relies on her judgment to recognize the limits of each leaf.
“By combining crochet with such a seemingly fragile material as a leaf, I’m seeking to explore themes including the value of time and preciousness of objects, tenderness and tension in human connections, and vulnerability and resilience, found in nature as a whole as well as in the stories of individual beings,” Bauer explains in an artist statement shared on her website.
Continue scrolling to see more of Bauer’s works below.
