Simon Maria Ackermann

Self-taught painter and certified cybersecurity specialist based in Switzerland. My work sits at the crossroads of classical portraiture and the language of my day job - threat actors named after animals, quietly reimagined as gold-framed gentlemen. I paint in oil, mostly on gesso-primed canvas, chasing the moment where something familiar starts to feel slightly wrong. Currently building an evolving series of anthropomorphic bears, each with its own character and story.

Self-taught. My real training ground has been the canvas itself - years of trial, error, and stubborn repetition - alongside a professional background in a technical field that shapes how I look at systems, patterns, and hidden meaning.