Interview with screen printing artist Friederike Bérat

Watch the interview here or read it below in the following text:

Stefan: We're with Friederike today. She makes these wonderful Lotao cloths. And of course I'm very excited. In the middle of Berlin, in this garden under the pear tree. How did you come across the topic of screen printing, Friederike?

Friederike: Good question. I've been doing this for a very long time. It's a really nice medium because you can do it mechanically, you can really print anything, everything is like on clothing, but you can also do it very well manually or very electronically. So there are many levels of this printing technology.

Stefan: But do you do it part-time or full-time or how would you classify yourself?

Friederike: I do it half/half, but I would like to do it full time.

Stefan: And what does the other half of Friederike do?

Friederike: The other half does circus work and yes, cultural management. Here for example in Villa Kuriosum.

Stefan: What inspired you to create the motif of our tea towel with the ant ? There is Alexanderplatz on it as a Berlin landmark and the ant. What was the idea behind that?

Friederike explains screen printing technology

Friederike: Ants are smart animals that always know where the good stuff is. They are smart, they know exactly where the best grain of rice is and they leave the bad grain of rice behind. That was the ants' idea. In fact, wherever there are ants, there is good fruit. So follow the ants and you will find the good products!

Stefan: There was originally an idea with the tomato, but we rejected it. But was there an idea that you could make a rice salad with just the tomatoes?

Friederike: Yes, yes, a little bit. With the tomato it was more the color too.

Stefan: Would it have turned bright red?

Friederike: Yes, exactly.

Stefan: And you think the ant turns black?

Friederike: Yes, I think so, I'm not sure yet. Maybe it will be green in your colors sooner.

Stefan: And doesn't it turn bright red?

Friederike: Oh, do you want that? Would be interesting too. I think it's nice when that settles. Maybe there are different ants because every print is different. So that means we could try black ants, but also red ants. Things are always created during printing. I don't really plan it in advance, I always have to try it out.

Stefan: And if I would now like to have another motif, that might not be from Lotao, but where you might say, I'm visiting Berlin sometime or I might want to choose it myself from various other motifs or create my own motif , can I also get this from you or where can I look at the cloths?

Friederike: Ah yes, that’s right. I have a shop with different artists at Greifswalder Straße 195, it's called everyday wonder. Because there are many wonders of everyday life such as screen prints, but also soaps, T-shirts, rings, everything from different Berlin artists.

Stefan: And even CDs!

Friederike: Exactly, even CDs. Exactly, the music we are listening to now was released on Saturday on the new album, the band's name is Never Again.

Stefan: Oh my God. So I really hope that these great kitchen towels are not under the motto “Never again”, but that this is just the beginning. And if you want to buy such a great kitchen towel: If you spend 75 € in the online shop you will get the kitchen towel for free.* Of course not the ant, because this is a super limited edition. You have to order this separately. This is our Artists Edition.

Friederike: Yes, the Artists Edition. But it's not finished yet, it's still in the works. Don't promise too much!

Stefan: We'll see if the ants crawl into our office in the direction of Gubener Strasse. We just let ourselves be surprised. Thank you, Friederike!