Hope Christofferson
Loreland

Hope Christofferson is a young artist from South Dakota, USA, who spent her childhood in the magical Black Hills, surrounded by nature which served to spark a love for fairy-tales. Having an interest in traditional mediums, her works primarily consists of watercolour and oil, and she has also been interested in both ceramics for many years. Hope is now traveling the world in search of mythological creatures for a modern bestiary where the parallel functions of myth and technology are explored. In 2022, she spent a month at Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center, where she learned about traditional and experimental wood-firing techniques and glaze formulation. She has also worked as an illustrator for the past three years, working with fantasy and folklore—as a visual storyteller, she has gotten to work with game companies and authors to bring concepts into reality through her paintings. Hope is currently working with publishers on an illustrated book of mythological creatures as well as tarot card deck inspired by medieval bestiaries.

During her time at ´ace, Hope worked on a compendium of mythical creatures done in watercolour that pays homage to traditional scientific illustration in conjunction with imaginative elements drawn from folklore. This book project has been part of her work for the past two years, travelling and studying local indigenous myths, illustrating the creatures from stories that have been passed down orally for centuries.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I believe in the continued use of fantasy as a tool to digest reality through play. I’m fascinated by how folklore once rationalized events like lightning, rainbows, love, death, and plagues. I draw parallels between the functions of folklore and the scientific counterparts that have come to replace it. Logic can explain how things happen, but not always why they happen. Choosing to see the world in an inquisitive light invites belonging and hope into the soul. The metaphors within myth and folklore provide answers that nothing else can address. Fueled by my deep love for nature, I incorporate personal symbology derived from my past to illuminate the sacred significance of plants and animals within human life. Many of my paintings are made in the woods, where I use watercolour to blend the intricate details of trees, mushrooms, and flowers with narrative symbolism.