About - Carina Sacher - Artist, Illustrator, Writer

BACKGROUND
Growing up in East Germany during the final years of the Cold War, I learned early that freedom is not only political — it is emotional, personal and deeply human.
Surrounded by a world of political control and everyday uniformity, I found refuge in the stories and illustrations of books borrowed from my local library. The vivid colours and imaginative worlds beyond the borders of the German Democratic Republic captured my imagination. Wanting to preserve those images long after the books had to be returned, I began recreating them myself. Without realising it, I had discovered my first artistic language.
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 transformed not only my country, but also my understanding of identity, possibility and freedom. Those experiences continue to influence my work today.
In 1994 I was accepted into the workshop of renowned East German graphic artist Dieter Huth, who became my first mentor. Under his guidance I studied drawing, human anatomy and painting in charcoal, ink, acrylic and oil. After graduating from art school in Germany in 1998, I moved to London, where I have continued to develop my artistic practice alongside a professional career.
Today I work primarily in acrylic using palette knives to create expressive figurative paintings rich in colour, texture and symbolism. Colour is more than an aesthetic choice—it is my emotional vocabulary. Rather than illustrating emotion, I use colour to invite viewers into conversations they might otherwise avoid.
My work explores memory, identity, freedom, resilience and the psychological stories we carry beneath the surface. Whether inspired by femininity, history, mythology or contemporary life, I am less interested in painting what people look like than in revealing what they carry within them.
Growing up in East Germany gave me a unique perspective on resilience, individuality and the quiet complexities of human nature. While those experiences remain an important foundation, my paintings seek to speak to universal human emotions that connect us regardless of our background.
Alongside my continuing exploration of figurative painting, I am developing a surreal series examining history, ideology and power through symbolic imagery, as well as writing and illustrating the next book in my Tiny Tia children's series, where colour once again becomes a language for understanding emotion, kindness and hope.
Ultimately, my work is an invitation to look beyond appearances, embrace complexity and discover the extraordinary stories that exist beneath the surface.

BACKGROUND

Growing up in East Germany during the final years of the Cold War, I learned early that freedom is not only political — it is emotional, personal and deeply human.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 transformed not only my country, but also my understanding of identity, possibility and freedom. Those experiences continue to influence my work today.

My work explores memory, identity, freedom, resilience and the psychological stories we carry beneath the surface. Whether inspired by femininity, history, mythology or contemporary life, I am less interested in painting what people look like than in revealing what they carry within them.

Growing up in East Germany gave me a unique perspective on resilience, individuality and the quiet complexities of human nature. While those experiences remain an important foundation, my paintings seek to speak to universal human emotions that connect us regardless of our background.

Ultimately, my work is an invitation to look beyond appearances, embrace complexity and discover the extraordinary stories that exist beneath the surface.