I am attracted to the theatre because it has things no store does. All there is, is unique.

Jasna Vastl

I first encountered Jasna Vastl’s puppets quite by chance, not in the theatre, but in her parents’ home in Škofja Loka. There I saw a myriad of aids, tools, and covers all of cloth. I could have sworn those were “just” puppets. Their ludic nature simply forced me to take them in my hands and I had precisely the same feeling as when I held someone else’s toys as a child …

Now that I am rather familiar with Jasna’s impressive production of puppets and stage costumes, that first impression has become even stronger. Every time I see a show or visit an exhibition or flip through her portfolio I wonder what makes these creations so irresistible; what is so deeply embedded in them to command a personal response to their expressive nature. Let me try to outline what underlies such expressive quality in Jasna Vastl’s work.