Polymer illustrator Jessica Fortner interpreted the sinister side of Santa for a recent Toronto Krampusnacht art show.
For those unfamiliar with European legend, the Krampus is a mythical being thought to the antithesis of Santa Claus. He travels from house to house dispensing wicked, cruel punishment to children who have been naughty. Krampusnacht, or Night of Krampus, is a celebration held on the eve of Santa Claus’ arrival. Adults dress in wild, devilish costumes to scare the children into being good.
Naughty, nosey polymer artists like me delight in Jessica’s work-in-progress photos of her scarey holiday piece and enjoy this article about her.
Margit Böhmer ,
Hi Cynthia, what an interesting topic, I am living in Germany (born in Bavaria) and until now I’ve never heard from “Krampusnacht”…. Jessica’s interpretation is absolutely fascinating, thank you for posting
Jeanniek ,
I enjoyed reading the interview with her and especially the work in progress on her blog. I learned something new today about the legend of Krampus. What an intricate imagination she must have.
Randee M Ketzel ,
I had recently run across this legend via a film review of a very scary flick showing here at the Indie theaters in Austin TX–this artist has really put a face to the description! It’s always so fascinating to see where our traditions come from–when you scratch just a little beneath the surface they’re not nearly so innocent as they seem…..
LaLa ,
Thank you for posting sculpture that is a little bit on the creepy-cool dark side! I love it and thoroughly enjoyed her other artwork as well!