GRAPHIT: Illustration Festival in Erfurt
Outside of Kontor. All Photos: Ole Bechert
From September 23rd to 25th, 2022, I attended a fantastic drawing festival in Erfurt for the first time, something I hadn't known about before. Although it's small (or perhaps because of that), it was extremely well-organized and truly inspiring. Some of the participants were professionals, while others were there out of passion for illustration, urban sketching, and street art.
“GRAPHIT, packed with lectures and workshops, invites instructors and speakers from all over Germany to Erfurt. Participants are not only given insights into the creative world of these professionals, but also the opportunity to step outside their comfort zone and explore other areas of design during the workshop part. Even outside the scheduled program, there are plenty of opportunities for exchanging experiences, engaging in stimulating discussions, and collaborative creations.”
Keramik-Workshop. Alle Fotos: Ole Bechert
The highlight of the festival were two workshops on porcelain painting and linocut printing. What I particularly enjoyed was working with different materials instead of a pen or iPad. I especially love drawing on ceramics and am keen to continue doing so. My designs for the porcelain bowl and the bookplate, which I created in the linocut workshop with Erni Donnerberg, can be seen in my sketchbook (see the third image below).
The showdown of the symposium was the GRAPHIT Battle, where illustrators competed against each other in an live-drawing contest. Within three minutes, each participant had to illustrate and connect three words that they were given. Despite my graphic recording experience, I was really put through my paces. Afterwards, there was a small party on site.
Foto: Ole Bechert
Unfortunately/understandably, the GRAPHIT Symposium only takes place every two years, as the organization is naturally very demanding for the volunteers. This still relatively unknown festival was truly special for me because of its creative yet relaxed atmosphere where I could meet many wonderful people and do what I've loved most my whole life — drawing — completely free from the stress of everyday work.