Breeze: Thomas Geyer, Lydia Hamblet

Thomas Geyer's artistic journey is deeply rooted in the exploration of familiar living spaces, heavily influenced by his experiences and the environment he is surrounded by. It is common for his compositions to originate from locations that he visits or considers to be his home. He manages to capture the essence of these environments without depicting any human figures. Through his masterful use of colour, Geyer painstakingly creates atmospheres that not only establish the mood, but also evoke subtle narratives inside the viewer. Light sources, contrasts, and nuanced hues all play important roles in shaping the emotional setting of his work, comparable to the process of orchestrating a dramatic production on stage. His loyalty to the saturated, cold shades of blue and green and their occasional, unexpected juxtaposition with pink hues awakens the viewer by immersing them in Geyer’s world. 

Thomas Geyer’s art strikes to startle the viewer’s remembrance into consciousness simply by challenging what is known and experienced. His motifs depict the harmonious connection between humanity and nature, with the natural world serving as more than just a backdrop for the depicted living space. Nature's presence is essential to him—an integral part of his sense of belonging and longing. Painting serves as a form of compensation, allowing Geyer to create windows into alternate realms, inviting viewers to enter his imagination. His imagery shares a homogenous and harmonized depiction of the cohabitation of both metropolitan and natural realities, where he functions as a mere bystander, an eye-witness. Geyer’s masterful creations bring a fairytale-like ambiance to the normality and familiarity of contemporary living that embraces and confronts the minuscule, sometimes insignificant subtleties of life and reintroduces them as irremovable and vital elements of our story. 

His chosen medium of egg tempera reflects his mastery and affinity for traditional techniques honed through years of study. Utilizing eggs, linseed oil, and carefully mixed pigments, Geyer achieves a harmonious fusion of materials that imbue his works with a natural authenticity. The canvas itself, crafted from wood and linen, further enhances this symbiosis, culminating in artworks that resonate with a captivating sense of realism and depth.

Thomas Geyer obtained a diploma from the Academy of Fine Arts, Leipzig in 2010. Following his graduation, Geyer has been showcased in many exhibitions, both solo and group shows. In addition to that, he has taken part in noumerous art fairs, mainly in Germany, but also in Switzerland and The Netherlands. 

Lydia Hamblet's work is not bound to the limits of only one medium. Hamblet expresses herself through large-scale paintings, prints, and public installations – the latest addition being a 15-metre hand-painted mural in Canary Wharf’s South Quay in London, which is true to the artist’s expressive and abstract style. Hamblet acts as a constant observer of her surroundings, drawing her inspiration mainly from the environment and the weather. Her growing connection to how she perceives natural and urban ecosystems voices her generation’s concerns about contemporary life. Hamblet’s compositions contain and emphasize the ubiquitous feeling of humanity’s despair regarding its present and future uncertainty. Her practice using a wide variety of primarily warm and high-contrasting colors, in combination with the unstoppable force and movement of her hand on the artwork’s surface, can only be characterized as untamable and wild. Her captivating landscapes create a whirlwind of emotions inside the viewer, while her playful and somewhat satyrical titles establish her as an unforgiving judge of mankind and its endeavors.

Born in 1995 in London, UK, Hamblet has acquired a Bachelor’s degree in Illustration at Camberwell College of Arts in London. After graduating in 2017, her thirst to expand and develop her artistic skills led her to further her studies with a Master’s degree from the Royal College of Art. Her distinction was based on Print. Lydia has also received the Print Makers Appeal Fund and was shortlisted for the Clyde & Co Art Award.

The duo, although at first glance, might seem like an odd pair, converse with one another through their skillful manipulation of color and technique. Both artists engulf the viewer with sensations and memories, Hamblet’s art tossing and turning with the ever-changing winds of life, and Geyer’s paintings gracefully and gently roaring through the viewer’s inner psyche.