Symbols

Symbols speak without telling a story. They act immediately, condense meaning, and remain in the memory. On the wall, these symbolic works unfold a distinctive presence: they draw the eye, set deliberate accents, and give spaces a deeply personal character. Their effect is open—they invite interpretation and conversation without fixing meaning. It is precisely this openness that allows the works to resonate in a wide variety of settings, from private living spaces to studios, social areas, and work environments. All motifs are also available mounted on handcrafted iron plates.

Learn more about presentation on handcrafted iron plates: On Iron

The Symbols body of work is devoted to central motifs of Christian visual tradition, translating them into a contemporary form of Christian symbols in modern art. At Atelier Wonnereich, these motifs do not appear as narrative illustrations, but as condensed visual signs that leave space for personal perception and interpretation.

The symbolic works draw on archetypal imagery: for example, the dragon as a symbol of evil, the fortress as a sign of protection and liberation, spheres as expressions of movement, vibration, and harmony, and the flame as an image of strength, devotion, and transformation. Rendered in red document ink, these motifs are reduced, clear, and compelling—non-illustrative, focused instead on form, line, and meaning.

The red ink functions as a deliberate expressive medium. It does not point to drama, but to decision, consequence, and inner intensity. Lines, concentrations, and open spaces form images that do not explain themselves, but act through presence. It is precisely this restraint that gives the works their particular tension.

Many of the symbols can be associated with a saint of one’s own choosing, opening up individual fields of meaning. In this way, the works invite personal interpretation without losing their formal clarity. The symbolic images unfold with particular intensity when mounted on carefully controlled rusted iron plates, which lend the signs additional depth and a powerful material tension.

As Christian symbols in contemporary art, these works are intended for spaces in which images are allowed to be more than decoration. They catch the eye, set deliberate accents, and give modern living, social, and working environments a distinctly personal character—quiet, focused, and self-contained.

More about the artistic approach and the work of the atelier can be found on the page About Atelier Wonnereich.