Spargel

I ran across this German opinion piece by Volker Heise in the Berliner-Zeitung newspaper which describes one man's psychological asparagus withdrawal that landed him in the ER, as well as his more serious struggle to cope with Covid19 stress. His reaction to having no fresh local asparagus was so "extra" that I felt inspired to illustrate the piece. I do sympathize with his anxiety, though, and I hope he feels better; we're all going through some stuff right now.

But you must understand, Germans are obsessed with asparagus ("Spargel") in the Springtime; the type and provenance of the asparagus is a big deal, something one might show off to one's coworkers for social clout. Enthusiasts will absolutely engage in shady backdoor trade to get the fresh local best if they must. Also of note: Germans peel asparagus before cooking and serving (in butter with a side of luxury). I never knew that until German YouTube served me an ad of a woman lovingly peeling asparagus in a slow motion in her rustic kitchen at sunrise.

I've translated the article as best I can. My understanding of what he said about the protesters is a little iffy.

Berlin is the Heart of Germany

A Berlin radio station asked for a design expressing the slogan, "Berlin is the heart of Germany," for postcards to be distributed en masse around the city. Here is what I came up with:

Design for "Berlin is the heart of Germany" postcard, by St. Rhinocéros / Ciana Pullen. It's a digitally altered watercolor sketch based on the city's iconic bear from the Berlin flag, with a slight Temple of Doom influence.

Christmas in Berlin, Kurfürstendamm

Christmas in Berlin, Kurfürstendamm, photo by Ciana Pullen, 2014.