“The dragon is that fear, that menace that hangs over it all, over whatever comes out of it, out of this explosive Berlin-fusion.”
Yvonne Onischke (alias Yoma) was born in West Berlin before the fall of the Wall. She trained as a graphic designer at the Lette Verein in Berlin and now works as a freelance artist and media designer. The painting “Berlin bei Nacht” (Berlin by night) reflects her concerns about social divides, environmental disaster, and nuclear energy.
Yvonne Onischke (Yoma) in the interview
Onischke’s painting “Berlin bei Nacht” (Berlin by night) is based on a vision the artist had in 1988 in which she saw a monster looming over reunified Berlin. The dragon is the product of greed, power-hunger, and environmental pollution and is nourished by human hatred. But the possibility of combating it is also suggested in the painting: The cosmos symbolises the potential of human kindness to restore the cosmic and global balance. The painting is an appeal to learn from mistakes.
Onischke qualified as a graphic designer from the Lette Verein in Berlin and completed her training with a course in DTP graphic design. From 1998 to 2009 she used the alias “Yoni”, which she then changed to “Yoma”. She has worked as a freelance artist, illustrator, and media designer for over 30 years.
