From Dust To Dust

This five-part series of paintings is dedicated to the fundamental question of the nature of being human and focuses on human aspiration. We strive to build higher, to become more independent, to understand more and to control more. For me, this search for meaning is closely linked to the desire to overcome our own limits and those of our environment. We long for more than we ourselves are or can give - for influence, control and the opportunity to (co-) create the world. But this aspiration, fascinating and inspiring as it is, also has a dark side. The images reveal the tension between human hubris and powerlessness. Hubris is the conviction that we can control and influence everything. The paintings show human actions as the supposed source of events that clearly exceed our influence. After all, what person alone can plant an entire forest? Who can carry the weight of the world alone? We humans can plant things and carry loads, but there are limits to our ability to do these things. On the one hand, the series emphasizes the contribution of human achievements in an appreciative way, while at the same time pointing out the limitations of our possibilities. This juxtaposition reveals the ambivalence of our nature: the beauty of an almost limitless ambition meets the weaknesses of our overestimation of ourselves.
The series asks with a mixture of recognition and a critical eye: Is it our hubris that makes us who we are? And who, if not us humans, could achieve what we so tirelessly strive for?