Design meets art – our charity beeswax wraps
The cheeky, fluffy monsters of Radark always cause hilarity. BeNe’s generous suns attract not only bees with their bright colors, but also visitors to my stand. Anyone who comes closer discovers ever new combinations of colors and shapes in Lerke’s sophisticated pattern. “Actually much too pretty for the fridge” is what I often hear when trade fair visitors look at our charity beeswax wraps. I really like presenting them, because there is so much more to them than “just” keeping them fresh without plastic. The charity beeswax wraps bring together sustainable, social and artistic aspects. And they are really beautiful!
M & M: My father is a painter and Markus comes from the design field. So the collaboration with the artists was obvious. Those who prefer patterns will also find an alternative to the plain-colored scarves in the Charity Edition.
Art is beautiful, but it takes a lot of work
The Bavarian comedian Karl Valentin already knew that. Our charity scarves are not only made with heart and soul, but also with effort and time. Each motif is designed by an artist and represents their work. We have to choose a motif from the applications we receive. In doing so, we try to be as objective as possible and not only choose what we personally like, but also to address a wide range of people. That’s why there is sometimes something figurative, sometimes something for children, sometimes a floral or graphic pattern. There are currently seven different themes to choose from. Find out more about the artists and their motifs here !
A short portrait of the artist is printed on the grass paper packaging with the special folding technique and the organization to which the respective motif is donating is presented. I’ll tell you a little more about that in a moment. So if you are a painter and are interested in working together, you are welcome to apply to us with one or two motifs.
M & M: There is a lot of work in the charity beeswax wraps: the tenders for and agreements with the artists, designing the texts and packaging, editing the photo files – and it is a product that requires explanation when it is sold.
Every charity cloth donates
The charity beeswax wraps are limited to 500 pieces each, so that new artists can always be introduced. For every charity beeswax cloth sold, we transfer a total of two euros to charitable projects. These are personally selected by the respective artist, so that each motif has its own fundraising goal. Sometimes there are projects for people in need, sometimes environmental initiatives or associations for political education. If an edition is sold, a proud 1000 euros can be donated.
The purchase of a charity beeswax wrap has a chain of positive effects:
- The artists are supported and made better known through the dissemination of their work.
- Art moves into households and makes everyday life more beautiful.
- The projects that are financially supported help people or nature.
M&M: With our fundraising campaign, we want to compensate for the unavoidable CO2 emissions that we, like any manufacturing industry, inevitably have – even if the focus is on longevity and sustainable action.
Charity beeswax wraps – What the artists say about their motifs and the donations
I asked Rahel, Lerke and Bernd to tell us something about their respective motives and what connects them personally with the associated donation project:
Charity beeswax wraps from Ra Dunkel alias Rahel Haack:
I chose the forest motif because it stands for taking a break in nature and matches perfectly with the lunch break, which can be wrapped in a beeswax cloth.
My style is constantly evolving, but the two motifs are typical of my work. Because what pops up again and again are the big eyes, the satisfied faces and above all the bare feet. In addition to these characteristics, humor and lightness play a particularly important role for me.
The “Little Prince Campaign” does an amazing job to free children from their plight and to make their lives easier. I’ve always been a fan of the book The Little Prince, which taught me never to lose my cool. But when a child grows up under much more difficult conditions, it has never known this ease.
Charity beeswax wraps by Lerke Nennemann
My motif shows a composition of shapes and colors that interact with each other. This is exactly what I deal with in my art: breaking down what I feel or experience into colors and shapes. For this motif I was inspired by a warm summer evening. But I don’t care what I thought or felt. It is much more important to me what my motifs trigger in the viewer.
The Sternenbrücke children’s hospice wants to give families a little joie de vivre in very difficult times. Since I also try to spread joy and a positive attitude to life with my colorful pictures, supporting this institution is particularly important to me. I also like to support a regional organization.
Charity beeswax wraps by Bernd Nestler – BeNe
I saw the shape of the beeswax wrap and immediately had the idea of a generous, round shape. Coming from glass art, I think in terms of light. Light gives colors a life of their own. In this respect, predominantly radiant, strong colors are typical of my work. In this case the primary colors yellow and blue.
If you fold the beeswax cloth and lines appear at the folds, it is as if the motif is breaking open. Similar to light breaking through glass or lines drawn by ice skaters on ice.
My partner works in a facility where relatively young people with multiple sclerosis live. People whose physical functions are so restricted by the disease that at first glance they can hardly move. My artist colleague Dorothea Dattenberger opened a studio for these people in the facility. Great works of art are created. That’s incredible. And it’s wonderful to see that artistic work makes people happy and makes them feel better. The said circle of friends supports the studio for people with MS and is grateful for every donation.
M & M: The charity beeswax wraps are a symbiosis of art, design, charity and sustainability. This is the perfect mix for a great gift. Discover all our great motifs here!
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