Julia Timmer

30 pieces
SO! Soziale Objekte

„IT’S ME! SO WE!“
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Lithemba Sithole, Azile Phohlo, Zintle Fodo, Amyoli Malinyo, Kungawo Busakwe, Lwaphiwe Majija, Simanye Phohlo, Anothando Sinbango, Kwakkhanya Fodo, Ovayo Daweti, Blythe Busakwe, Afikilie Daweti, Liqhame Mquqa, Liyabona Bulawa, Lihle Soyikwa
mit Julia Timmer, 2025/26

I spent three intensive workshop weeks in October 2025 in Mfuleni at the matchbox kindergarten Injongo. We got started after regular school hours. I quickly realized that I wanted to leave something sustainable for the children and young people—something they could continue working with. The initial idea of producing the edition faded into the background, and instead we focused on exploring basic creative and artistic techniques: hatching in drawing, typographic fundamentals, and developing forms from geometric shapes.

Our guiding theme, “My Senses,” carried us through all the exercises. We explored noses not only visually, but also in their function as organs of smell. Each session began with a short, shared meditation. At first unfamiliar, it was soon accepted and even welcomed. This brief pause noticeably softened and calmed the atmosphere. After long, focused phases, we agreed on having Michael Jackson playing in the background. Jackie and Busa also prepared sandwiches and fruit for everyone.

At the end of our time together, we invited people to an exhibition. Each student went home with a “ME-BOX”—a DIY suitcase filled with ideas and works from the three weeks. Highly personal, it is meant as a toolbox for their own future creative adventures. Almost incidentally, we also talked about how proud we can be of ourselves, and how important it is to show that outwardly. When speaking about our work, we lift our heads and raise our voices—clear and confident. The participants accompanied me to the car when I left.

My work exists at the intersection of art and design. My primary focus is on creating SO! SOCIAL OBJECTS. I do not produce a fixed design—the pieces emerge collaboratively through the process. The resulting artifacts tell of a good shared time; they are traces of successful coexistence.

For the matchbox collection “IT’S ME! SO WE!” I created ceramic self-portraits together with up to 18 young people. Physical and sensory self-exploration was central to the process. The striking sensory forms became the basis for the edition. I took silicone casts of noses, mouths, and eyes back to Germany and reproduced them in pigmented plaster. It was important to me to give the edition a sense of visual lightness and a joyful spirit infused with humor. In this way, a piece of the joy of life I was able to experience travels into your home. Enjoy!

The sculptures were cast in plaster, partly tinted with pigments.

www.juliatimmer.de

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