Susanna Bauer’s Intricately Crocheted Leaves Celebrate the Elegance and Ephemerality of Nature

This post was originally published on Colossal

Merging organic forms with timeless craft, Susanna Bauer emphasizes incredible details in her intimate leaf sculptures. Working with a range of foraged species, from ginkgo to magnolia to oak, the artist (previously) meticulously stitches around the edges or fills in tiny incisions, creating intricate lacework compositions.

A new monograph Susanna Bauer: IN LEAF, published by 5 Continents Editions, celebrates her use of natural ephemera to create elegant pieces exploring the relationship between strength and fragility. “Nature becomes a metaphor for humanity: the artfully interwoven threads remind us that we are all part of a vaster network and therefore generators of connections,” Valentina de Pasca writes in an introductory essay.

Bauer created a limited edition that includes a magnolia leaf circle crocheted into the opening page. She is releasing these in batches, which have previously sold quickly, so keep an eye on her website for the next update. You can also preorder a standard copy of IN LEAF on Bookshop.

If you’re near Austin, stop by the Affordable Art Fair, which runs May 16 to 19 at the Palmer Events Center, where Bauer is showing work with Muriel Guépin Gallery. Follow more updates on the artist’s Instagram.

“Holding Memories” (2024), magnolia leaf and cotton thread

“Three ll” (2017), magnolia leaves and cotton thread, 18 x 18 centimeters. Photo by art-photographers.co.uk

“All I Need” (2023), magnolia leaves and cotton thread

“Seven” (2022), fatsia leaf and cotton thread, 29 x 22.5 centimeters. Photo by art-photographers.co.uk

Left: “Adornment XVlll” (2024), magnolia leaf and cotton thread, 19.2 x 10.6 centimeters. Photo by art-photographers.co.uk. Right: “Whisper ll” (2023), oak leaf and cotton thread

“Side by Side” (2022), magnolia leaves and cotton thread, 14.5 x 12.5 x 4 centimeters. Photo by art-photographers.co.uk

Left: “Ginkgo Pair lll” (2022), ginkgo leaves and cotton thread. Right: “Shine” (2023), magnolia leaf and cotton thread, 11.7 x 16.4 centimeters. Photo by art-photographers.co.uk

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