Lotus leaf painting with Himapan Berlin

At Himapan Berlin, Kirsten teaches painting on real lotus leaves, a craft that is almost unknown: only one other person in Germany teaches it, and it is rare in Europe too. The leaves are harvested fresh in Thailand and prepared in a secret process of about three weeks, dried and pressed, so that they can be stretched on hand-made wooden frames from an atelier in Bangkok, frames you cannot buy in Germany. You do not just paint on the leaf: you work the paint into it with a sponge and your fingers, which is deeply calming, and people who arrive restless go home relaxed. No talent is needed: with her guidance everyone leaves with a beautiful picture. She has always painted, much of it in acrylic, and learned lotus leaf painting three years ago from her predecessor, who had lived in Asia and was looking for a successor. At the Gärten der Welt she had thirty to forty visitors create one picture together, passed from hand to hand. A workshop is for 2 to 8 people: the smallest format, 40 × 40 cm, takes three to four hours, frame and all materials included. She brings everything and comes to you, to the office, to your home or to any room; larger formats can take several days, and a group can also make one picture together. Kirsten also sells her own lotus leaf paintings, some of them currently on show in Prenzlauer Berg.