Instead of a foreword to this book, a text about the artist titled 'Reflections' ('Spiegelungen') was written by the writer and Kaffke's companion Gabriele Berthel. Helga Kaffke had never been lured away to farther regions by the continuous blue of southern skies, but had always worked in the rough vastness of Northern Europe. When she was asked about her artistic credo, Helga Kaffke answered: „Paint a landscape like a portrait - and a portrait like a landscape!“ This new book on Ireland by EDITION digital enables a soft approach to these very special portraits of landscapes and landscapes of portraits. It is available online at edition-digital.de and at all online booktraders and traditional bookshops. A bilingual calendar on Ireland with 13 different watercolours from the book has also been published.
Helga Kaffke was born in Leipzig, Germany, in 1934. After her qualification for photo lithography she studied at the university for graphics and book art in her hometown. After her diploma she worked as a free-lance painter and graphic artist since 1959 - first in Leipzig, later in Schwerin. Study tours took her to Bulgaria, France, Ireland, Poland, Romania and Hungary. Solo exhibitions were staged in Achim, Annaberg, Chemnitz, Clemenswerth, Eupen (Belgium), Flensburg, Geringswalde, Leipzig, Magdeburg, Parchim, Rostock, Schwerin, Sögel or Westport (Co. Mayo, Ireland) and at different French locations like Rouen, Yport or Sassetot le Mauconduit. She was involved in numerous exhibitions for example in Berlin, Bremen, Dresden, Erfurt or Kiel as well as in France, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland. Helga Kaffke died in December 2017 in her much loved last home in Ballycroy on the northwest coast of Ireland.
WALKING TALKING. On the road in Ireland's wild west
ISBN: 978-3-95655-897-9
EDITION digital
124 pages, 24,80 €
https://edition-digital.de/Berthel/Walkingtalkingeng/
On the road in Ireland’s wild west. Calendar 2019
ISBN: 978-3-95655-896-2
EDITION digital
14 pages, 12,80 €
https://edition-digital.de/Kaffkel/Irlandkal2019/