The starting point of my work is to dive into the unconscious through the psychology of the schematic map. In many cases, this develops from abjections and disappointments suffered, such as the critical or punitive parenting mode, but also from learned instinctual acts of survival, such as self-stimulation or manipulation.
To express these, I have quoted and rethought symbolist works that have inspired me, such as Hodler’s The Chosen One or de Chavannes’ Hope. My visual language of expression, based on the tradition of symbolist painting, explores spiritual processes through the relationship between man and nature, using the millennia-old metaphors of flora and fauna, combined with the knowledge of modern psychology.
My relationship with wild animals has been present since I was a child, as my father is a hunter, so it is not surprising that they are often part of my dreams, where I appear as a kind of spiritual guide. In my paintings, I bring to life the tradition of Shintoism, depicting them as a kind of spiritual projection, such as the lion, which is the embodiment of feminine energy and strength, the bear, which is associated with courage and self-empowerment, or the owl, which is represented as the goddess of wisdom.
Similarly, flowers are attributes of different qualities and emotions, such as the thistle, which symbolises self-love, or the sword flower, which represents loyalty and honour. It is no coincidence that since the dawn of civilisation, mankind has been creating symbols and interpreting itself and its qualities through them. My latest exhibition is a tribute to this primordial and pure tradition.
Zsófia Hermann