Painter, sculptor, and designer Monika GilSing (born in 1942, Hamburg, Germany; lives and works in Hamburg) creates paintings, textiles, and sculptures depicting real and imagined creatures in bright colors and geometric patterns. The semi-abstracted figures of her textiles and acrylic paintings reflect the influence of Cubism’s fragmented geometrical shapes. These include Shadow Thieves, figures made of flat wood and metal that evoke mystical deities; and Firebirds, brightly colored metal silhouettes of birds and figures which blend into and transform the natural landscape. GilSing’s work also includes graphic design, children’s illustrations, and most recently iArt—her term for the line-based portraits and scenes she makes on an electronic tablet.

GilSing designed a collection of Wind Images (English for Windbilder), large-scale textiles decorated with motifs and characters such as birds and goblins that appear to fly and ripple in the wind. GilSing, who frequently makes work for the outdoors, displayed her dynamic, vibrantly colored flags throughout the fairground. After collaborating with André Heller on Luna Luna, GilSing worked with him again to create scenery and costumes for the theatrical production Jagmandir (1991), and then on a series of whimsical displays and architectural installations for ANIMA Garden, Heller’s fantastical open-air museum in Morocco.