Temple of Lust Print

Philipp Humm’s transition from entrepreneur to artist and ‘ironic-narrator’ of modern life has been less than orthodox. His art traverses societal norms and directly questions human nature and what lies ahead as we blindly pursue technological advancement with sometimes shocking alacrity. Humm’s influences are strongly underpinned by a broad remit of German culture that includes everyone from Goethe to Heidegger, Wagner to Rammstein as well as the work of Egon Schiele and the Blue Riders art movement. Primarily a painter and sculptor, he also works with a variety of art-forms including film, digital photography and literature to broaden the narrative. Recognising the transformative nature of art, he is keen to democratise the rarefied universe in which it exists today. A strong advocate in the ‘craftsman-artist’, Humm is rigorous in his ideal that every piece of work carries his personal creative mark. The author and art critic Edward Lucie Smith described Humm’s style as Pop-Expressionism. Adding ‘‘He stages increasingly surreal settings. His colours are vivid, his edges sharp.’’ Humm’s work has been exhibited extensively across the US and Europe. BIOGRAPHY Born in Saarbrücken, Germany in 1959, Humm began painting at a young age until, like many before him; he was drawn into corporate life where a stratospheric rise saw him head-up some of the world’s largest tech firms. He holds a BA in Philosophy from Saarland University, Germany and MBA from IMD in Switzerland. In 2015 Humm dropped out of corporate life to concentrate exclusively on his art. He studied at London’s Fine Art Studio and Florence’s Academy of Art. Humm’s work has attracted considerable media attention with his first show making the front page of The Wall Street Journal. He currently lives and works in north London with his partner, the photographer Daniele Mah.