Blick ins Leben - Textileart by Gertrud Schaper
Museum Tuch + Technik, Neumünster, DE
20.03. - 27.09.2026
Picture: Gertrud Schaper
The title “Blick ins Leben” (Look into Life) is to be taken literally in this exhibition: Gertrud Schaper invites us to look closely – into faces, into eyes, into people’s souls. Her textile art opens windows to what connects us all: joy and pain, hope and disappointment, love and longing. In her works we don't encounter idealized figures, but people like you and me. The artist captures those quiet moments in which the whole of life is condensed into one look. Sometimes it shows individual people in their uniqueness, sometimes people in dialogue with each other, sometimes in direct comparison - as if they wanted to tell us their story.
Gertrud Schaper's special artistic language arises from the interaction of different materials: she works with fabric appliqués and collages, overlays colorful textiles with translucent materials and complements her compositions with free embroidery. This technique gives her works a very unique depth and liveliness. The different layers – sometimes transparent, sometimes strong – allow the portraits to breathe.
What makes her work so touching is the honesty with which she shows people in all their facets - in their strength as well as their vulnerability, in everyday as well as fateful moments. Their characters look at us, challenge us, speak to us. They talk about the “mystery of life,” which is anchored in our time but at the same time touches on timeless questions.
“Looking into life” means: stopping for a moment and realizing that there is a whole world hidden in every face. The exhibition invites you to discover these worlds – and perhaps also to find a piece of yourself in them.
More information: www.tuchundtechnik.de