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Hannah Schmider
Hannah Schmider's (b. 1985, Germany) fairytale-like and thoughtful wood sculptures combine content and innovative visual expression. As she herself describes, her artistic process is one of immersion in material, color, surface and form:
From the Mountains to the World
My artistic Journey began in the mountains, at the School for Wood and Design in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. There, I completed my apprenticeship as a wood sculptor and gained a solid understanding of material and form. My path then led me to the Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden, where I studied theatrical sculpture, further expanding my range of shaping techniques. During this time, I focused on the precise representation of various materials beyond wood. My diploma in Dresden marked the conclusion of this phase of exploring new techniques and materials.
The unique vitality and expressiveness—as well as the synthesis of raw power and delicate precision in working with it—ultimately brought me back to wood. Today, I have my studio in an old, inspiring courtyard house in Offenbach am Main.
From Impulse to Form
Each new piece often begins with an external impulse: it might be an animal that captures my attention, a surprising image in a newspaper, the aesthetics of an album cover, or a condensed narrative from a book. These diverse impressions serve as the spark for an initial idea—a thought that begins to take shape in my mind.
But the real journey—the translation into three dimensions—starts in the studio. As soon as the idea meets the wood, a fascinating dialogue begins. The material itself becomes an active partner in the creative process: its grain, its peculiarities, and its malleability both challenge and inspire. It's a constant weighing and responding to what the wood offers and what my hands want to shape from it. Even after applying translucent layers of color, I continue working on the form. With wood, it's always a process of removal. Sometimes I add more color, sometimes I leave the surface untreated. A sense of satisfaction tells me when I'm finished—when the sculpture is in balance.
This intense process is often accompanied by music, which guides my concentration while carving and shapes the atmosphere in the room.
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