‘Constant Change’ (Embroidery and painting on canvas, 50x 60cm, 2020)

Berlin-based artist Frederike Ruff transforms scraps of fabric and paper into vibrant collages that tell stories of resilience and connection. A visual artist and facilitator, she’s less interested in the walls of galleries than in the messy, beautiful realities of everyday lives. Her work, which includes collage, textile art, and painting, extends beyond creation. It is more focused on teaching and inviting non-artists to discover their creativity. In a recent conversation with The Rookery Centre, Ruff discussed her journey, her passion for accessibility, and her reflection card set, which uses art to spark self-reflection and storytelling.

Deepening human connections
Ruff’s art is a bridge to human connection, breaking free from elite gallery spaces to touch everyday lives. Through her vibrant collages and innovative reflection card set, she invites non-artists to explore emotions and share stories, transforming her passion for psychology into accessible, meaningful experiences that encourage authentic bonds.

“I’m a visual artist and trainer for participatory art projects. I have lived in Berlin for quite some time, and I was travelling a lot over the last few years, both for exhibitions and for training and workshops.

She said she enjoys working with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those who are non-professionals. 

“Recently, my colleague and I created a reflection collage card deck that helps people to express their feelings and talk about their stories,” she detailed. 

Reflection cards are tools used to promote self-awareness, critical thinking, and personal growth. They typically consist of a set of cards, each containing a question or prompt designed to encourage reflection on various aspects of one’s life, experiences, or perspectives. These cards can be used individually or in groups, in educational, therapeutic, or personal development settings.

 “I’m very happy that I did this because I’m a bit [reluctant] about exhibiting in galleries, they’re not enough for me. I love to be in touch with life, and that’s why I love to work with people who are not coming from the art field or are also not privileged to be part of it.”

Ruff also shed light on her interest in psychology, which motivated her to create a tool that helps people reflect and connect with themselves through artwork. 

“[I thought] it would be a wonderful mission, it succeeded, and I’m very happy about it.” 

Roots of artistic passion

Ruff’s artistic spark ignited in a childhood moment of mischief, cutting her skirt into pieces: an act that revealed her love for textiles. Growing up in a family of collectors, she learned to see art as a way to process the complexities of life, a practice that evolved with time.

Speaking about how she became an artist, Ruff said: “That is an interesting question that I cannot answer easily because it [the artistic instinct] was just always there. 

“My mother tells me a story that when I was three years old, she sat me in the kitchen and went into the basement, and she forgot the pair of scissors lying on the table. And I was sitting there, and when she came back, [she found that] I had cut things out of my skirt. She thought, ‘This girl needs scissors and she likes to work with textile’, so she bought me a pair of scissors, glue, and gave me all the textiles she had because she was collecting textiles and then my journey with the collage and fabrics started back then, so it was basically always there.”

To her, art is a way to navigate through the challenges of life while gaining insights at the same time.

“I would say making art is a way of digesting life, as it helped me through all phases in my life to reflect on it and gain insights. It also helps me answer questions and, at some point, I decided I would like to share and teach others so they can also experience this.”

Reimagining possibilities

As aforementioned, Ruff’s love for collage stemmed from her family’s tradition of collecting, a habit she’s carried into her travels, gathering fragments from around the world. For her, a collage served both as a disruptive force — breaking things apart — and a creative one, building new stories from discarded pieces. This duality made it a powerful medium for visionaries, allowing her to reimagine what was possible by piecing together what had been overlooked.

Her work often carries a mystical quality, blending intuitive imagery with a therapeutic purpose. She sees mystical art as a way to tap into a timeless, universal space that resonates with shared human experiences. This quality encourages healing by inviting people to step outside their daily struggles, offering a reflective space where emotions can surface and stories can unfold, creating a bridge to self-understanding.

“[It’s sort of like] having a collector’s heritage, so I also gather a lot of items through travelling: things that I find interesting and bring them home. It’s like making new things out of fragments, building new context, new meaning out of fragments and things that don’t work anymore. And that’s why I think making collage is a tool for visionaries.”

Reflection cards

Speaking about her reflection cards, Ruff said the collection was inspired by her love for Tarot cards and was designed for storytelling rather than revealing fixed meanings. Unlike traditional oracle cards — a divination tool similar to Tarot cards but generally less structured and often themed — her cards use universal symbols, like a horse, that evoke personal responses based on individual experiences. 

By focusing on nature and avoiding cultural or gendered imagery, she created a tool that feels accessible to people worldwide, allowing them to project their own stories onto the cards and connect with their emotions in a deeply personal way.

“I was fascinated by Tarot cards, and many artists make Tarot cards. I love it and I also practice it a lot. The cards I made, I would not say they are oracle cards, but actually, you can also use them as oracle cards. They are made for reflection or storytelling as well as for multiple purposes. But I think what I love about oracle cards is that I don’t believe it will tell you the future, but it is something that shows you the right cards at the right moment, and then one can associate something with the card. 

“I mean, a horse, for example, represents a strong symbol,  but at the same time, everybody has very different experiences with horses: one is scared, another might have had a beautiful time as a child riding horses, while another might never had contact with real horses, so it also means something very personal to everybody.”

Resilience through art

For Ruff, art serves as a lifeline for resilience, a way to process pain and anger through hands and heart. Creating offers a timeless space where people can escape daily pressures and reclaim agency as creators of their own lives. Her artworks serve as personal reminders, hung on walls to guide her and her collectors toward growth and healing, acting as a kind of visual medicine that fosters self-reflection and purpose.

“Resilience, as I learned, means coming back from a hard time and the ability to step up again on the stage. For me, as I said before, making art is like a process of digesting, like digesting pain, digesting anger. It’s a way of thinking without using the brain, but using your hand and heart for thinking. 

“Making art creates a space where you can somehow even step out of time. You enter a timeless zone, that’s why people love to do it, because they can kind of detach from the everyday world. And it’s also a space where you are the creator of your circumstances.” 

She explained that her artwork serves as symbolic objects, akin to reminders she places on walls to reflect on personal growth, aspirations, or identity. She expressed hope that her collectors use her art similarly, not just for enjoyment but to contemplate their own challenges and engage in self-discovery.

Reconnecting people with creativity 

In her workshops, Ruff encourages a playful, pressure-free environment to reconnect people with their creativity. Using games, guided meditations, and her reflection cards, she helps participants overcome past discouragements, like being told they lack talent, and rediscover their imagination. By creating a safe space and encouraging hands-on creation, she counters the isolation of modern life, helping people feel connected to themselves and others, balancing personal healing with a broader sense of purpose.

“In my workshops, I try to work very playfully, so that people can disconnect from the pressure that they have to do art or something serious. In this way,  it doesn’t become work exactly or a task; it becomes something to explore,” she said.

“We work with many games with projections or with cards as well. I love to work with meditation, where I let people explore their mental imaginations. Most of the time, people get very good ideas for their work through this [practice]. I also let them write because some people get good ideas through writing on paper.”

She explained how she creates a space where participants can freely express themselves through art, with music to inspire them. 

“I like to just let them have a space for themselves to make their artwork, to make their collage, or to put on music. I don’t interfere in their process, but I’m there to guide if they need help or have a specific goal. Most people don’t face creative blocks because we break through doubts, like being told they have no talent. My aim is for everyone to leave happy, and at the end, we share the stories behind our collages: whatever people feel comfortable sharing. Sometimes there’s trauma behind the work, and I respect if they don’t want to go too deep. That’s my process.”

Techniques for trauma processing, emotional regulation

Ruff champions collage-making for its accessibility: scissors and glue feel less intimidating than paint or pencils, allowing people to dive into creation without fear. Her experience in Nepal, working with sexual abuse survivors, showed how collage can express what words cannot, offering a visual voice for trauma. She also recognises the healing potential of other media like clay or large-scale painting, customising her approach to each person’s needs to engender emotional regulation and healing.

“I personally work with the collages because for a collage painting and drawing, many people have ideas like ‘I cannot do it, it’s so technical’. But a collage is somehow like a pair of scissors and a glue: people are not afraid of it so much that they are kind of [carefree] when starting the process and don’t have a lot of boundaries. That’s a big plus in working with collages and the reason I like them. But of course, there are so many other techniques that have healing benefits.” 

Ruff cited the example of clay work, which she described as calming and deep despite not having any experience with it.

“I think it is very physical. I’ve worked with an art therapist, and it’s incredible how deep and calming it is to create with clay. Large-scale painting brings a lot of physicality, becoming a real counterpart to your emotions. It depends on what the person needs; some benefit from writing, others from clay or music.”

She continued: “It’s all about their preferences. I once led a workshop in Nepal with a woman working with rape victims. In their conservative culture, the women couldn’t speak about their experiences, so she was drawn to collages. They could cut out shapes and words, arranging them visually to express what they couldn’t say aloud. It’s such an accessible process, and we developed this approach together. I hope it’s still making an impact.”

Channelling and designing new cards

Designing her reflection cards was a collaborative, intuitive process for Ruff. She aimed to capture a range of emotions but found that feelings are fluid — what evokes happiness for one might stir fear in another. A card depicting a creature screaming in a field, for instance, might represent rage or liberation depending on the viewer. This versatility, inspired by tarot’s dual meanings, allows her cards to serve as open-ended tools for personal interpretation, celebrating the complexity of human emotions.

“The idea was to have a card for each feeling, but, of course, it’s not that easy and it’s not how it works,” she explained. She worked on multiple collages simultaneously, aiming to capture varied atmospheres but allowing the process to unfold organically. Ruff collaborated with a colleague to organise the cards, seeking supervision and input from others to ensure a broad emotional range. They asked people, “In what kind of direction does this card go for you?” to create a wide spectrum of human feelings.

She was surprised by how differently people interpreted the same visuals. For instance, one card depicting a creature with three mouths, yelling and running through fields, evoked strong reactions. “Most people find it very disgusting and pick it as a card for rage, but sometimes people choose it as liberation, like ‘I won’t care about opinions and I’ll scream it to the world,’” she said. 

Ruff noted that each card can hold opposing meanings, positive or negative, depending on the viewer’s context. Comparing her cards to tarot, she pointed out their layered meanings: “The devil card, for example, stands for addictions or sins, but in some contexts, it’s about liberation, embracing something society might judge but feels true to you. ‘Congratulations to the devil,’ I say, it’s who you are.” This flexibility, she said, is where the beauty lies, as a single image can reflect both liberation and disgust based on personal experience.

Art as inner guidance, spiritual dialogue

For Ruff, her creative work is a journey into the subconscious, where her collages become portals to deeper truths and spiritual insights. By surrendering to the act of creation, she uncovers unexpected meanings that resonate personally and universally, guiding both herself and others.

Describing how her art served as a conduit for grappling with big questions, diving into creation without forcing outcomes, she said: “When I had big questions, I went to the studio and just started.”

She explained that being “in the zone” feels timeless, granting access to profound levels of consciousness. “I call it the elevator to the underworld. It just comes. But you cannot force it,” she added. 

Truth, she noted, reveals itself on its own terms, sometimes in unsettling ways. For instance, she recalled creating a collage with empty pots and an angel standing before a dartboard. “I thought, what is this? I didn’t know what it meant or how to proceed,” she said. 

Initially mysterious, the piece later took on new significance when she connected it to news of people in Gaza being shot while seeking food. “It suddenly got another meaning,” she reflected. 

Ruff said that such experiences are not unique to her, as colleagues have had similar moments where art unexpectedly aligns with reality. She struggled to define the phenomenon, suggesting it’s a personal experience rather than a universal rule. “Sometimes you can open a window, maybe to the future,” she mused, rejecting the idea of a fixed destiny like “Maktoub.” 

Instead, she believes, “We are created to create,” shaping the future moment by moment. Yet, she acknowledged that art can reveal possibilities, potential outcomes that might emerge if paths remain unchanged, like the violence she unwittingly foreshadowed in her work.

Sailing through personal challenges

The artist’s daily practice of using reflection cards has been a quiet, steady guide through life’s challenges. Once kept private due to fears of seeming unprofessional, this habit, rooted in her experimental upbringing, has become a cornerstone of her personal growth. It’s not about one standout moment but a cumulative process of asking the right questions and finding inspiration, helping her navigate her identity as an artist who creates in the safety of her studio.

“I do this regularly and have for many years, first with oracle cards. It’s something I always kept secret; I didn’t share it with many people. We’re lucky to hear it now. With Tarot cards, I felt exposing this too much would make me seem less professional, so I hid it. In recent years, it’s more recognised, but it wasn’t always like that. It shouldn’t be a reason to hide, but I wasn’t brave enough. I was raised with experimental parents, which brought a lot of shame, like it does for many creative people. They want to be seen but also have to hide, based on the circumstances. Maybe that’s why one becomes a visual artist: you can create secretly at home, not on a stage where people might judge you harshly. I don’t have a specific story to share about the Tarot cards; it’s just a daily habit now.

Speaking about her life, she continued: “I take a card using specific systems to help me ask the right questions and find inspiration. I interpret it for myself, and it’s helped me a lot over the years in all aspects of life. If you’re asking for a particular story connected to creating a card or my work, I’d need to think about it. Nothing comes to mind spontaneously because it’s such a normal habit. It’s not about one special experience. It’s a collective response to who I am and where I come from. I’d have to think about a specific design or moment, but it’s fine if I don’t share one right now.”

Balancing intuition and structure

She leans heavily on intuition but recognises the necessity of structure to bring her ideas to life. Her routine, morning sports, meditation, and reading set the stage for creativity, ensuring she’s in the right mindset. This balance, learned early in art school, keeps her engaged in ongoing projects while grounding her intuitive impulses in a practical framework that makes her work tangible.

“I come more from the intuitive side, like most people lean toward one preference, but I learned early in art school that without structure, you can’t bring things into the material world. You need a kind of discipline in working and not overdoing it. I call it a structure, i.e., staying with certain habits, like getting up at a specific time. I’m not creating art every day, but I try to work as much as I can, and I’m always engaged in a project,” she said.

She said that her structure revolved around being engaged in something creative.

“In the morning, I have a routine: I do sport and meditation, which helps me get on track. I read a bit, including emails, news, sometimes a book, then I exercise and meditate before starting my day. I don’t like morning appointments because I’m not prepared. I need to set myself up and dress properly; it’s important to stage things right. I can’t have an important call in my nightdress, you know? This interview is in the evening for that reason. My structure isn’t tied to specific times or tasks; it’s about feeling ready to create. Of course, I also handle bills and everyday tasks. I’ve learned to value that, even if it doesn’t come naturally to me.”

Ultimate hope

The artist’s ultimate hope is that her work, whether through art, workshops, or her reflection cards, sparks a deeper connection to self and shared humanity. Her art, she said, serves as a kind of medicine, leading to healing and wholeness for those who engage with it. By bridging the internal and external, she invites people to find meaning in their own stories and a sense of belonging to something larger.

“I hope people walk away feeling more engaged with themselves, finding something in their imagination that reminds them of a bigger place we all share, something that connects us to our humanity,” she said.

“It’s both internal and external, because the external is in the internal, and the internal is in the external. It’s about connecting with the world, with others, and with ourselves. They belong together. Like you said, it’s like a poem. For collectors or people living with my art, I want it to be their moment, like a medicine. Art can heal, connect, and bring wholeness, and wholeness is health.”