"Roots" Painting

Christa Elmer

(Switzerland, 1972 · Based in Mallorca since 1995)

Visual Artist · Jazz Singer · Musician

ARTIST STATEMENT

My work emerges from the meeting point between intuition and exploration. I grew up on a farm in Switzerland, where from an early age I learned to listen deeply to Mother Earth and her rhythms. That connection continues to guide the way I create.

I paint with inks because they allow me to work with movement, chance, and fluidity in a process that resembles jazz improvisation: there is an initial structure, but true creation happens in the space between intention and letting go.

I am interested in exploring the balance between concept and freedom, between control and the unexpected. Each work becomes a conversation with the material, where the inks find their own path and I simply accompany them, listening to what emerges.

Nature is my greatest source of inspiration. I live on a Mediterranean island, and the sea, water, and its rhythms are an essential part of my visual language. I am also fascinated by the invisible world—microorganisms, organic structures, and the patterns that sustain life. I observe these forms and translate them through emotion rather than representation.

I am also drawn to symbolism. Circles, stone cairns, and other recurring forms appear throughout my work as quiet metaphors for guidance, balance, connection, and the invisible forces that shape our inner and outer landscapes.

To enhance the organic quality of my work, I often paint with feathers, branches, dried flowers, and other natural elements instead of traditional brushes. These tools leave marks that can never be repeated, making every gesture organic, spontaneous, and alive. My creative process is a continuous dialogue between matter, movement, and emotion, where nature not only inspires the work but actively participates in its creation.