Elfriede Grooten

Our planet is in crisis, and human activity is at its core. Rising temperatures, floods, heat waves, wildfires, polluted oceans, and the extinction of species define our present reality. The question is no longer whether change is needed, but how we take responsibility for the world we leave to future generations. Through her work, Elfriede Grooten seeks to awaken viewers to this urgency. She believes that meaningful change can begin with small actions multiplied by millions of people—but time is running short. There is no Planet B. Using hand-dyed fabrics, longarm stitching, appliqué, and heat-gun melting techniques, she creates powerful textile narratives. Her quilts portray animals in distress: sea turtles trapped in life-threatening situations, fish suffering in polluted rivers, bees dying from pesticides despite their essential role in pollination and honey production, and ants—creatures that have survived for at least 140 million years by constantly adapting to change. Through this series of quilts, she calls attention to environmental fragility and human responsibility. Her work confronts viewers with uncomfortable realities while offering a visual language that is both precise and emotionally compelling. It is a plea for awareness—and for action.