South African Gerhard Human was born in 1980, and graduated in 2002 in graphic design and applied arts at the Technikon in Pretoria.
He currently works as Creative Director at the animation studio Masters and Savant. He has been published online and in print and has also exhibited in several galleries through South Africa, Amsterdam, Sydney and New York.
His work is rich in the search of the disruption of the human nature, and often depicts misfits and punks, shifted from the expectations of stereotypes.
He uses a variety of media to represent these figures, always represented in desolate environments. His chosen palette of colors is always very sharp and minimalist. He says his work “plays on the notion of desolation, but with a strong underline mood of uncertainty and exploration”. We may understand from this statement that he has himself wandered in his own life seeking answers to the uncertainty, although he now enhances how the process of searching for the answers is much more in line with human nature than finding the answers. He tries, through his work, to point out the common ignorance of contemporary society with the distinction of culture and awareness. As said, his work depicts scenes of desolation and harsh lands. It is through these huge rocks and rigid geographies that he believes to attract the viewer with a feeling of complexity and severity.
In his ongoing series Cederberg Sandstone Formations, he shows the unique and striking rock formation found in the Cederberg mountains in South Africa and chose to depict them through paintings made of strong colors and opposing hues.
The paintings will be on sale at the BENNETT CONTEMPORARY Winter Show from June 21st, 2017.
To know more about Gerhard Human click here.
