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Why do I work with wax? Wax is the material for me to tell the stories of the human condition. It is not about specific people in a specific situation, but more about what happens to the people – I call this The Relational Aspect. My figures relate to each other, but also with themselves. They address the observers; make eye contact with them at the same time. Thus the encounter with the deliberately ambiguous figures can also become an encounter with one’s self. Wax embodies the multi-fadedness of life. It is both transparent and opaque; it is changing and static and, therefore, is especially suited for representing the diversity of the human condition. The things too that they would not say, including those aspects that are impossible to express in language. In each picture I strive for “It is like this, but also not” It is this grey area that interests me. I explore ambiguity; where the picture is clear at first sight and seems obvious, but as you continue to look more closely reveals the hidden interpretations, questions, depth. When I work with wax, I apply the warm pigmented wax onto wooden panels. During the layering process, the multiple layers are revealed as I scratch, scrape, and tear them free again, so that what lies underneath it all becomes visible. In addition to the warm wax, I have also developed a cold wax tempera which enhances the application and expression possibilities. It is a slow creative process of a storied canvas which is analogous to the depths of the human soul. So for me wax is much more than a material – it carries content. MALBRECHT |