FEATURE
Interview with Kazumi and Anne
"The gift between Tokyo and Berlin" vol.2
20. NOVEMBER 2017
FEATURE
20. NOVEMBER 2017
— Do you usually work from home?
Anne : Yes, I usually work on editing on the desk. When I produce books I use the larger table. Also I print all my photographs by myself in a Photography Lab Collective in Berlin.
— This is a very nice flat, much like you. Where do you usually buy your furniture?
Anne : It’s a mixture. I am happy that some of the furniture is from my family. The sewing machine side table is from my great-grandmother, the closet, some chairs and also the tables are from my father’s side of family. I found the cupboard online, and I use it to store my office related stuff. Recently I bought a cute little kitchen cupboard at a fleamarket nearby Berlin. I think the quality of old furniture is so much better than the new stuff. I like furniture that is made of wood. For example, the soap dish in my bathroom is what I found many years ago on the ground in the countryside.
— That’s amazing! Do you have a favorite market?
Anne : On the weekends there are many flea markets in Berlin. My favorite is the market held at Arkonaplatz. It’s not so big and they have plenty of goods. I also buy all the stoneware vases and things there. I really like that material and it’s great for flowers.
— Do you make anything other than your photography work?
Anne : Yes, I love to do other things! For instance I make all the plates, also some cups. But I especially like to make plates. It’s so simple and good! They are very rough - I am no trained potter. But I like that. In my kitchen I have only one or two things made from plastic and I almost never use it. I prefer materials like wood, ceramics, stoneware, enamel, cotton, linen, wool.
— Are there anything else you make?
Anne : I also make small accessories and clothes. For example, I liked the scarf because of it’s good wool material, but they were too small; so I bought two and sew them together.
And I am sewing the sweaters which I wear made from felted wool. It’s a great material and I wear my sweaters all year, even on cold summer evenings. I started sewing them for me, then for friends and now I am very happy that a customer from Japan already ordered some. And recently I have sold one to New York. I hope to have more time in winter for sewing. I like the process. I sew these sweaters by hand, it just takes quite some time to make one. I just really like to work with my hands.
— It’s great you can make so many things!
Anne : Of course, there are things I can’t make. I like wearing trousers, but they are hard to make; when I went to Japan, I bought two.
— Are there any standards as to when you buy new products?
Anne : First of all, they have to be simple; and the quality has to be high. Most of my clothes are either linen or cotton, something natural. During the winter, Berlin gets very cold, so wool products are a must. It’s hard to buy existing products since even though they might be high quality, I often don’t like the shape or the cut of it. So I decided to make them myself. Japanese products are high quality and have nice cuttings.
— Do you like Japan?
Anne : Yes I love it! Not only clothes, but I think their traditional crafts are high in quality and visually pleasing. I had difficulty shopping in Japan since I wanted to buy so many things. Also, I love Japanese food, especially Onigiri (rice balls). They’re cheap and easy to eat, and I find the ingredients very interesting. Also, it’s wonderful how Japanese people are peaceful and have very good manners.
— I’m glad you liked Japan. What’s Berlin like for you?
Anne : I was born and grew up in East Berlin. Compared to other cities, Berlin is smaller and more peaceful. I like the city as it has a lot of nature.
— Lastly, could you tell me more about your future?
Anne : Ideally I’d like to live more in the countryside. Even now, on the weekends I prefer to stay at my house and garden that is a two and a half hour car drive from here. I’d like to live in an environment where I can live self-sufficiently and take photographs in the nature. Currently there are plans for a café in the countryside, maybe I will also work there a bit. have so many interests and so many ideas. I need to concentrate more! I need to find a way to earn enough money and also balance all my interests.
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Next article is about Kazumi Takigawa's artworks.
Anne Schwalbe is a photographer based in Berlin with a deep interest in nature. She studied photography at Ostkreuzschule and German Literature and Cultural Studies at Humboldt University in Berlin. She has self-published several photography books such as “Wiese XXI-XLVIII" and “There is a white horse in my garden.“, currently she is working on a new project : "Wiese Garten Baum“ (Meadow Garden Tree).
Exhibitions of her work have been presented at Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam, Galerie f5,6 Munich and Post/limArt Tokyo.