Mother and daughter pursue distinct paths in art

Artists Maria Moser and Lena Göbel draw on their shared family history in different ways, they told ORF at an event in the broadcaster’s Upper Austria regional studio. The mother and daughter also discussed their work and daily life in their studios.

They live and work under one roof in Frankenburg am Hausruck, in a roughly 400-year-old house that once housed an inn and a metalworking shop. Its studios now belong to Moser and Göbel.

Göbel has worked with woodcuts since she was 15. Her images feature landscapes, figures and rooms, while family stories, memories of her grandparents and the history of the house also inform her work. “What matters is what interests me,” she said. “And that is, of course, my own story, my own family history.”

Moser’s painting takes a different direction. She explores materials and the elements, drawing particular inspiration from iron and the atmosphere of her father’s former workshop. She associates the colour red with fire and the work of the forge.

Both artists said their creative approaches remain independent despite working in the same house. Moser praised the coherence of her daughter’s work, while noting that they must be careful not to copy each other. They also joked about giving each other feedback, which is not always equally welcome.

The discussion took place as part of Treffpunkt Kunst, an ORF Upper Austria event series that regularly brings artists from the region together with audiences.