Artist Statement
Illustrations to the Essay of Reg Kienast
under the title “Easy to Get In, Difficult to Get Out!”
To illustrate Reg Kienast’s essay, it became a challenge and a valuable learning opportunity regarding his unexpectedly discovered family living in the Ore Mountains area.
I am presenting five collages here. The first collage depicts Karl May’s tomb in Radebeul.
The remaining four collages are arranged in the following order: the Old Tine Mine, which served as a refuge for the professor’s family; the Two Professors’ Books; the Nscho Gallery; and the University in the Ore Mountains.
The most challenging aspect for me was imagining the daily life and activities of the professor’s family while they were at the tine mine.
It was much easier to envision the gallery of the professor’s daughter. In front of the Nscho Gallery, I displayed large posters of Karl May’s book covers, which were created by Sascha Schneider (1870-1927), a German symbolist, painter, and sculptor. Schneider’s work surprised me because it was unconventional for illustrating May’s book covers; they were more symbolic paintings. In front of Schneider’s artwork, I showcased a magnificent egg sculpture celebrating the professor’s first book.
The third collage depicts two professors’ books: “The Book of Ignorance” and “The Book of Knowing” on a background of a map of the Ore Mountains. The final collage depicts the imagined University in the Ore Mountains, placed on the hills, surrounded by large trees, and guided through the gate named “The Whole Earth Peace University.”
Bio
Krystyna Laycraft, a Polish-Canadian artist, currently focuses on collage. Cutting shapes and assembling them into images has become her daily practice and source of joy—her way of “collaging the world around her.” She is particularly inspired by clouds, constantly shifting above her garden.
Krystyna originally studied theoretical physics in Warsaw and later conducted research on the Aurora Borealis at the University of Calgary. She went on to found two elementary schools, one in Calgary and another in Warsaw. After years of work in education, she redirected her energy toward art. Much of her painting life unfolded on a farm in Alberta, and more recently she has settled in the Okanagan Valley, where she also participates in collective exhibitions.
Beyond creating, Krystyna studies how artistic practice supports the development and emotional growth of young adults. She has published several books on the emotional needs of adolescents and the role of creativity in addressing them. This connection between natural processes, creativity, and emotions has long been at the center of her work. Through her art she also responds to global events and tragedies: one series of collages was dedicated to the people of Ukraine, others emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic, while another consisted of 64 collages inspired by the Chinese I Ching hexagrams. She also documents her travels through collage.
For the Ore Mountains and Chemnitz 2025, Krystyna created five illustrations inspired by Rege Kienast’s story. Each represents a different environment encountered by the protagonist—landscapes that become part of his knowledge and personal history.