b. 1988, based in Berlin, DE

Janes Haid-Schmallenberg manifests feelings in his paintings and burnt ceramics. Just as the Gorgons of Greek mythology turned into stone those who looked at these horrible creatures with snake hair, the artist immortalizes moments that seem so vivid that one might think one can still perceive the breath of the characters. The pictorial space of the canvases is reminiscent of stage sets, in which their protagonists, the fantasy creatures, pets and human-like figures, are structured by abstract color surfaces and interiors.
The compositions speak of genre, of domestic scenes and wild times, where intoxication, hubris and exuberance often turn into moments of tragedy and comedy.
Thus these impressions are also intensified by the painting technique, which can be volatile and chaotic, leading to these simultaneously outstanding compositions of fleetingness.