For Berlin-based multidisciplinary artist Simone Ambu, known as Sambu Studio, Postcards From Nowhere did not begin as a formal project. It began as a way out.
After a period of creative stagnation, Ambu found himself unable to move forward with new work. Even understanding the reasons behind the block did not make it easier to begin again. Instead of waiting for inspiration, he decided to force new inputs. He turned to a simple but powerful method: hand manipulation of photography.
At a Berlin flea market, he purchased a selection of vintage photographs and postcards from the first half of the twentieth century. With no fixed concept and no end goal, he began to work directly onto them. There were no work-in-progress videos, no algorithm-friendly documentation, no performative sharing. Just time, focus, and material.
What emerged was a series of unique mixed-media works that transform anonymous historical imagery into altered scenes that feel suspended between memory and invention. Each piece is one of a kind and not replicable.
Ambu draws inspiration from artists who combine techniques such as embroidery and collage. Onto the found photographs he layers acrylic paint, metallic threads, recycled paper bakery bags, and old envelopes to create three-dimensional textures. The interventions are intuitive and developed in the moment, guided by what the image seems to suggest. He describes the atmosphere of the works as “like memories from parallel universes.”
The process is as important as the outcome. Each postcard becomes a space for experimentation, where planning happens spontaneously and material decisions are made in response to the image itself. The metallic threads introduce an otherworldly quality, while the recycled papers add physical depth and a sense of lived history.
Postcards From Nowhere remains an open-ended body of work with no set number of pieces. What began as a personal exercise to reignite creativity has evolved into a sustained practice. Ambu now hopes to develop workshops based on the project, inviting others to experience the same tactile and intuitive approach to making.
Simone Ambu is a self-taught Italian artist based in Berlin. Working across embroidery, xylography, relief print, risograph, and digital print, his practice explores human relationships, social constructs, and shared myths through irony and material experimentation. His background in anthropology informs a research-driven approach that examines how personal and collective narratives shape society.
With Postcards From Nowhere, Ambu demonstrates that sometimes the most powerful work begins not with a brief or a plan, but with the simple act of starting from nowhere.
Artist Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sambu.studio/
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