Our glance at
Thomas Hamann
From 06/10/2023to 06/04/2024
After studying art at the FH Aachen from 1975 and then, from 1979 onwards, at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Maastricht, German painter-engraver and author Thomas Hamann (1955-2018) quickly demonstrated his great interest in both ethno-aesthetics and the socio-religious traditions of ancient cultures, which enabled him to develop his own graphic style; symbols arranged within a subject, such as circles, spirals, numbers, letters and crosses, are typical of his art. He has spent long periods in various African countries, notably Cameroon, whose cultural influences are reflected in his work.
Thomas Hamann's language is expressed in etching and mixed media prints (including collage), with sinuous lines that seem to stretch to infinity. On very thick paper surfaces, seemingly weighed down with earth and stones, the artist reveals unknown rites, religious traditions with Nature at their core, reveals an ancient world through cave paintings, a world of majestically silent totem poles; Hamann sets out to show traces of forgotten worlds, with which we have been linked since the beginning of mankind.Over the years, the artist has created several hundred engravings. Those who look at them will feel a sense of curiosity in the face of these paper enigmas.
Thomas Hamman's first solo exhibitions were held in 1984. In 1990, Hamann presented his very first book "Vergessene Welten" (Forgotten Worlds) at the Frankfurt Book Fair, for which he wrote a sequel with three further books. In 1995, together with Johanna Tiefenbeck, he founded the Turya Akademie in Aachen. Here, they offer seminars on self-knowledge, vision quest (as practiced by American Plains Indians), healing and consciousness.
Working mostly in series, Thomas Hamann's art is not abstract, but undoubtedly a "different" figurative art, an expression of his own, respectful of an inner law.
"I feel more and more that I am guided in my creation, that I put myself in this flow. If I let what I want to express happen, I experience a feeling that touches me deeply - a strong sense of harmony and the feeling that the work is just 'right'. Sometimes I feel like I have memories, and I wonder where they're going to lead me, and I follow them all the way," writes the artist.
We hope you enjoy discovering some of his work.
Thomas Hamann's language is expressed in etching and mixed media prints (including collage), with sinuous lines that seem to stretch to infinity. On very thick paper surfaces, seemingly weighed down with earth and stones, the artist reveals unknown rites, religious traditions with Nature at their core, reveals an ancient world through cave paintings, a world of majestically silent totem poles; Hamann sets out to show traces of forgotten worlds, with which we have been linked since the beginning of mankind.Over the years, the artist has created several hundred engravings. Those who look at them will feel a sense of curiosity in the face of these paper enigmas.
Thomas Hamman's first solo exhibitions were held in 1984. In 1990, Hamann presented his very first book "Vergessene Welten" (Forgotten Worlds) at the Frankfurt Book Fair, for which he wrote a sequel with three further books. In 1995, together with Johanna Tiefenbeck, he founded the Turya Akademie in Aachen. Here, they offer seminars on self-knowledge, vision quest (as practiced by American Plains Indians), healing and consciousness.
Working mostly in series, Thomas Hamann's art is not abstract, but undoubtedly a "different" figurative art, an expression of his own, respectful of an inner law.
"I feel more and more that I am guided in my creation, that I put myself in this flow. If I let what I want to express happen, I experience a feeling that touches me deeply - a strong sense of harmony and the feeling that the work is just 'right'. Sometimes I feel like I have memories, and I wonder where they're going to lead me, and I follow them all the way," writes the artist.
We hope you enjoy discovering some of his work.
