Delineated through whimsical colours and shapes, Lothar Hempel’s Butterfly presents a scene explicit in its fabrication. Conceived as if it were collage, Hempel’s painting is suspended in a crafted world of playful make believe, its simplified design conveying a sense of theatrical magic. Picturing a pixie balancing on an abstracted mountain, Hempel freezes narrative movement in a moment of static expectancy. Drawing equally from fairytale illustration and modern formalism, Hempel exposes the illusion of escapism, beckoning the viewer to examine their own motives and rationale.