Berlin based artist-illustrator-photographer Sarah Illenberger is renowned for her knack of transforming everyday items into unusual works of art – and her latest collection is no exception.
Inspired by a six-week trip to Portugal, the botanical series of works Wonderplants sees large, luscious leaves adorned with bold graphic patterns made from coloured tape. The idea is simple but the results are nothing short of stunning.
“I wanted to use only the resources that were available, so just the plants, and stickers and tape which I found in local stationery and DIY stores,” the artist explains.
“Over time I gathered more leaves from the Botanical Gardens in Porto and Lisbon and applied geometric shapes. They were inspired by Portuguese tiles and African fabrics,” she adds.
The combination of tropical palms and bright bold patterns is evocative of tribal markings while the geometric shapes and eye-popping backgrounds of the prints have a distinctly sixties feel.
