💌 Späti Stories #3: Meet Charlie - Creating Through Contrasts
Berlin's art scene thrives on diversity and avant-garde spirit. Meet one of the artists shaping it: Charlie, a multimedia artist challenging creative boundaries.
🎧 Listening to Nighttime Coming - Joe Hisaishi
Over the past week, the topic of "art in Berlin" has been making waves, especially with the recently announced austerity measures set to impact cultural funding in the city. The International Women in Berlin newsletter quoted an activist: "We're not just losing services; we're losing the soul of Berlin."
This "soul of Berlin" and the “freedom spirit” we've been exploring since our first issue are deeply intertwined with the city's creative and artistic landscape.
Today, we're shining a light on one incredible artist shaping that scene: Charlie Casanova, a multi-talented artist from Heidelberg who transforms discarded materials and raw emotions into visual series that resonate with a wide online audience.
Berlin's art scene is vast, diverse, and unapologetically avant-garde. While this won't be our last exploration of the topic, it's our first dedicated episode—and we've poured our hearts into it. We hope you enjoy it.
Charlie Casanova is a Taiwanese-German artist born in Heidelberg and based in Berlin. Originally trained in classical piano, she now works across multiple mediums—illustration, photography, multimedia art series—even composing her own scores. In Berlin, she discovered new ways of creating art, transforming her relationship with the creative process.
She welcomed us into her Charlottenburg apartment-turned-studio. From the moment we arrived, her artistic spirit was evident in every corner: a large table dominated the living room, covered in photographs for an upcoming exhibition, brushes, and paint tubes. Around the room, miniatures and figures—including a No-Face from Spirited Away—served as clues to her references and inspirations. The space struck a delicate balance between bright cleanliness and creative chaos.
With her background in film, Charlie helped us set up the lighting for our interview. Though initially nervous, she gradually opened up, each response revealing a deep authenticity. When asked about the role of art in her life, Charlie's answer was simple yet profound: it is her life. "It's the way I feel most comfortable expressing myself," she shared. Her concerns about the current budget cuts in Berlin's arts sector run deep. "These cuts are diminishing opportunities for people to create and connect, especially after the pandemic when art's role in bringing people together became even more evident."
Theatre holds a special place in Charlie's heart and mind. During a difficult period in her life, she began attending plays, drawing both the performances and her thoughts as she watched. "Learning how to draw without reference, or just having the moment be the reference—because in theatre, everything passes so quickly. Everything vanishes pretty much immediately," she explains. "The difference is also a lot in being process-oriented compared to being result-oriented. And it's probably why I worship theatre so much, because their process is everything. The process is partially the most beautiful thing."
This shift in perspective transformed both her art and her relationship with herself. "It's very, very hard if you have this sense of, 'It's supposed to be like this. It's supposed to be a very high standard.' And if it's not, you kind of feel like you've failed. You stop feeling a lot when you just want something to be the most perfect it can be. It's a very different feeling if you love something so much that you just want to put your energy and love into it, or if you have this compulsion of it being a certain standard or a certain way. One has completely everything to do with ego, and the other is about love for the arts."
Currently, Charlie maintains an ongoing multimedia series on Instagram. Her first series, "Soliloquy," produced 222 pieces over a year. Her new project, "Reflux," incorporates her piano compositions. The project began unexpectedly during spring cleaning when she discovered old spray cans from 2021. Instead of discarding them, she embraced these materials as vessels of memory and potential.
While Charlie produces and shares content online, she distances herself from the "content creator" label. "It feels limiting, as if the sole purpose is to produce something for others to consume. What I'm doing isn't about that. It's about finding ways to connect—with myself, with others, with a moment in time."
Her relationship with Berlin reflects similar complexities. "Berlin is an incredible place because you can really do whatever you want," she says with a smile. "When it comes to creativity, Berlin offers you this unique space to explore and express yourself. But it's a place where you can either thrive or get lost. It's a city of extremes." Finding her community transformed her experience: "In Berlin, you really have to find your crowd. Once you do, it's such a great experience. These musicians, after long days of working hard, head to jazz clubs and just perform for the love of it. I love that spirit—it's inspiring."
To those struggling with Berlin's solitude, Charlie offers hard-earned wisdom: "There's no way around it—you have to go out and engage with the city. If you're stuck with yourself, go outside. See things that have nothing to do with you. For me, going to the theatre was life-changing. The arts offer this unique space to connect and feel. But it's not easy. You have to make yourself uncomfortable in the right way. It doesn't magically make everything better, but it opens you up to new perspectives and experiences."
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Charlie's story remind us why Berlin's soul is so deeply intertwined with its art scene. From helping people process their feelings to building bridges between cultures, art isn't just about entertainment—it's about connection, healing, and community.
As the city faces decisions about cultural funding, these stories show us what we stand to lose: not just exhibitions or performances, but spaces where people find themselves, each other, and their place in Berlin.
Thank you for reading this longer episode. If you know someone wrestling with self-criticism or seeking their creative voice in Berlin, share these stories with them. Even in November's gloom, art has a way of lighting up the darkest corners.
What's your take on Charlie's journey? Let us know.
Warm regards,
Isabelle and Lua