Thomas Hamann
On first impression, Thomas Hamann's artwork reflects the charm of the exotics, the search for the qualities of those cultures and people, which Hamann compares to his own reality. His engravings present themselves as colorful, organic and deeply earthly-connected. They invite the viewer on a journey full of sensous discoveries. The encounters are strange and familiar at the same time: familiar, because the many symbols he uses have been known to us for a long time, but strange, because we have not seen such combinations before, and we do not know how to interpret them.
"It has been a long time since I could say that I've 'created' a piece or that I've made something. I feel more and more that I am guided, that I put myself into that flow. If I let happen what wants to be expressed, then I experience a feeling that profoundly touches me -- a strong sense of harmony and that the work is just 'right.' Sometimes it feels like memories and I wonder to which place it will guide me and I follow as far as it goes.
Nature also attracts me strongly. Therefore, every morning I go into the nearby forest. And each time I experience gratitude and peace. There is a perception of clarity here with direct experience of the laws of nature and it's rhythm. I discover the Golden Calf one more time as well as the meaning of ancient runes and other symbols. Each of them follows an inner law."
-Thomas Hamann
(Excerpted from his book, "Forgotten Worlds, Vol. 3")