GABRIELA DREES-HOLZ
I create my vibrant, life-affirming artworks mostly from recyclable materials such as fabrics and coffee capsules.
The resulting ceramics, textile objects, and installations are diverse, extraordinary, and always full of imagination, magic, and joie de vivre.
With this variety, I want to invite viewers to a celebration of the senses and inspire a new sensitivity toward our environment and biodiversity.
INSTALLATIONS
Having the opportunity to use my art space as a venue allowed me to increasingly develop my spatial thinking. This led to thematically oriented exhibitions such as "Conducting the Senses," "Pillow Art," and "Time and Space." In 2022, I was thrilled by the opportunity to design a historic military boat in Cologne's Rheinauhafen—it became the "Gold Boat." Since then, I have created several golden "rescue nests" for (crocheted) flowers and butterflies, inviting participation in the process. These were followed by the "Black Magic Cubes," for butterflies, enhanced by light, scent, sound, and air movement. In 2026, I created a walk-in golden coffee capsule, featuring a magical capsule forest scene inside.
SCULPTURES
CAPSULE WORKS
Light years ago, I happened to come across aluminum coffee capsules and was immediately impressed by this material. I particularly love the metallic colors, the ease and simplicity of processing, and the weather resistance. However, as a geographer, I question the use of such a valuable material for coffee containers. That is why several of my works address the destruction of our environment through bauxite mining and the impact of aluminum on the human body (see Dementium, Happy Capselentia, Encapsulated Pig, Wolf in Capsule Sheep’s Clothing, the works on the encapsulated world, and even the encapsulated universe). Aluminum is extremely light, flexible, heat-resistant, and conductive—and is one of the most popular metals. Germany ranks first worldwide in aluminum consumption, followed by the US and Japan.
Subgroups: 1- Capsule trees 2- Capsule balls 3- Capsule people 4- Capsule rain 5- Capsule animals 6- Individual objects: Encapsulated universe – Shattering capsule world
HEADS
My signature style here is also a playful combination of different materials.
Gallery 1: The concrete heads are made of only one material, while all the others consist of a combination of different materials, e.g., ceramics with fabric or wire, or Styrofoam with iron filings, poppy capsules, and wire (butterfly heads).
Gallery 2: Information about the ceramic heads: 2022, 50-25-20, they reveal, for example, self-confidence, arrogance, curiosity, humor, sadness, pride, infatuation, mischief… The tie is considered an important part of male attire in the Western world, but is increasingly falling out of use. Here, one can discern hints of arms, legs, but also “normal” items of clothing and movement in the ties. In the captions, you will find titles suggested by visitors.
TEXTILE WORKS
What I particularly like about working with donated used clothing, fabrics, and wool is handling the soft, malleable material and imagining that if the fabrics could talk, they would tell me exciting stories from other times. I enjoy creating objects that, in their multidimensionality, tell of these different levels of time and/or movement. You will find crochet, sewing, and embroidery work. Here, too, I create something new from a colorful mix of materials: fabrics and wool “converse” with ceramics, synthetic resin, wood, and wire.
Works from different sequences:
1- Conducting the senses (with the music stand family) 2- Cushion art 3- Time, space, and movement 2013+2022+2024 4- Environmental objects: Butterfly objects/ CO2 objects 5- 3D painted and crocheted objects 6 Dreho meets historical handicrafts from distant cultures
MIXED MEDIA
Several objects combine very different materials to create various sequence themes, such as “Conducting the senses” and “Pillow art.”
