Stigma 2020

Eckart Hahn made this painting, Stigma, with such a finely tuned approach to mark-making. It's a process where each tiny stroke builds into this incredible, almost hyper-real image of a hand, feathered like a bird. The material presence here is so intense. You can almost feel the texture of each individual feather, see the subtle changes in color across the surface. Looking closely, the mark in the center of the hand; a jagged red streak that feels both intentional and jarring. It’s this tension that really gets to me, it contrasts with the smoothness of the feathers. It reminds me a little of Neo Rauch, in the way it mixes a kind of classical technique with a very contemporary, unsettling sensibility. It’s like a conversation happening across time, ideas bouncing off each other. This piece is like a question mark, a space for our own thoughts and feelings to take flight.