Traces

Trace works focus on what remains of a Christian martyr. On the consequence of conviction. On the radical clarity of a martyr whose love for God outweighed love for life itself. In these works, red document ink becomes a visual language for people for whom faith mattered more than survival. The red does not always signify drama, but decision. Lines and surfaces condense into meaningful signs, giving form to inner struggle and to the traces it left visible in the world. All motifs are also available mounted on handcrafted iron plates.

Learn more about presentation on handcrafted iron plates: On Iron

The Traces body of work is dedicated to people whose lives left visible marks—sometimes even wounds. In red document ink, these traces appear as concentrated signs: lines, densities and voids that point to inner consequence and uncompromising conviction.

Atelier Wonnereich uses red ink as a visual language for martyrs—men and women who remained faithful to their beliefs even where adaptation would have been easier. In the reduced visual language of these works, their stories are not narrated but suggested. Meaning emerges in the space between material, form and contemplation.

The Traces works are part of a broader artistic exploration of contemporary Christian art. A curated selection of key works across different groups and materials can be found on the page Selected Works. The personal approach and working process behind these images are further explained on the page About Atelier Wonnereich.

Formally, the Traces paintings stand in deliberate contrast to other groups within the atelier: while the Holy Dancers emphasize movement and lightness, and the Symbols focus on condensed visual signs, Traces concentrate on what remains—on what does not dissolve, but inscribes itself. The visual language that connects all these bodies of work is described in the Style Portrait.

All works are hand-painted on high-quality handmade paper and are unique pieces or part of strictly limited series. The motifs are also available mounted on handcrafted iron plates, which add an additional spatial dimension to the works.

In living and working spaces, Traces unfold a distinctive presence: quiet, yet not neutral. They reveal a side of personality open to depth—without pathos, without explanation.