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A Look at Björn Griesbach’s ‘Hollow Children’

The faces of subjects in Björn Griesbach’s “Hollow Children” are smudged in graphite on mylar, save for the wide grins rendered ominous in the process. The German illustator, based Hannover, has a knack for evoking specific moods with pops of colors and detailed renderings, but this series offers a simpler, bleak approach. Griesbach was last featured on HiFructose.com here.


The faces of subjects in Björn Griesbach’s “Hollow Children” are smudged in graphite on mylar, save for the wide grins rendered ominous in the process. The German illustator, based Hannover, has a knack for evoking specific moods with pops of colors and detailed renderings, but this series offers a simpler, bleak approach. Griesbach was last featured on HiFructose.com here.



While certain details of the visages below, like strands of hair and noses are evident, the eyes of the children show only in dark spots hidden behind the smudged masses on the faces of the children, an emptiness within adding to the morbidity of Griesbach’s work.


Griesbach typically illustrates novels and other forms of literature, though he also works on personal projects and bodies of work. He recently created his own, modern illustrations for “La Nausee,” a novel from existentialist philosopher and author Jean-Paul Satre. The 1938 book was Satre’s first book, and it’s widely considered one of the greatest works of existentialism.

Though there’s a fantastic, sometimes whimsical quality to the work of Griesbach, “Hollow Children” subverts this trend by extracting the innocence of these subjects and widening the smiles otherwise so joyous.


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