Smooothie, one of the grazing animals created by Helga-Stentzel from old cloths. Image courtesy of the artist.
BY SEAN LEYWES
LONDON-Unlike many people who throw their old clothes away, Helga Stentzel keeps hers for her art. The London-based artist uses these clothes to create animals in landscapes and their natural habitats. Stentzel describes her work as Household Surrealism, a coinage she explains comes from spending hours assisting her grandmother in identifying forms on carpets, birch logs, and other objects.
One of her recent works is Smooothie, a cow made from a hoodie, pants, and t-shirt. The cow is situated in a landscape that gives it an air of realism. There is also Pegasus, a horse made from a hoodie, pants, and napkin.
Hang-0n, another work by Helga Stentzel depicts a white polar bear in a landscape with snow. Made from a winter jacket and hat, Hang-0n was recently made to an NFTart to raise money for Trees for the Future (TREES), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping farmers and the preservation of the environment through the planting of trees.
But Stentzel does not use just clothes when creating her works. She uses almost everything around her including papers, fruits, food, and everything else. An important example is Brad Pet, a playful puppy made out of sliced bread assembled in a way to give shape to a puppy. There is also Crunchie, the adorable puppy made from lettuce.
Stentzel is an innovative artist who can turn almost anything into art. You can see more of her works on her Instagram page and website where you can also buy prints of her works.