The story behind my Wabbelis

The first Wabbeli was drawn when I was still living in a small flat in Berlin, just as I was beginning to learn how to tattoo. I posted the little figure on Instagram and later tattooed it on one of my first clients.

When I shared the finished tattoo, I received so many messages from people who connected with the character and wanted something similar. What happened next is what truly shaped the Wabbelis into what they are today.

People rarely come to me with a fully finished idea. Instead, they bring me a thought, a relationship or a personal meaning, and we develop it together. Someone might ask, “Could you create three different Wabbelis to represent me and my siblings?” From there, I take their idea and translate it through my own visual language - thinking about how their story, personalities or shared connection could become part of the characters.

This exchange is what makes the process so special to me. My clients bring the meaning and the starting point, while I bring my own interpretation, drawings and creative intuition. Neither side exists separately; the final Wabbeli grows somewhere between the two.

Wabbelis can take on so many different forms. They can be tiny or more detailed, playful or delicate, stand on their own or be surrounded by flowers, stars, abstract lines and other little symbols. There are endless ways to interpret them, which gives me the freedom to experiment while still keeping the recognisable character of a Wabbeli.

Over the years, this has led me to create hundreds of Wabbelis for families, siblings, best friends, couples and all kinds of meaningful connections. Their stories continue to influence how I draw them, and in that way, the collection is still evolving with every person I meet.

What makes me happiest is seeing how much love and joy these little figures bring to the people who choose them. Knowing that something that started as a small drawing in my Berlin bedroom has become part of so many people’s stories truly fills my heart. 🖤