Hamm´s solo show at Conrads features her most mature works to date, showing anonymous portraits of young women, landscapes and floral fragments. The emanation of light is the most outstanding characteristic of Hamm´s tiny paintings, transforming common motifs into something extraordinary. A sence of >presence< occurs out of the painterly process: a severity of the human figure, willfully contrasting with the dim-lit, old-masterly brown patina. In the portraits the dim light evokes intimacy and closeness, while a harsh and pale light illuminates deserted and alienated landscapes. The light, texture and tones of Hamm´s delicate palette connect and reject the viewer simultaneously, creating a forceful relation between observer and picture.

FLASH ART 8/2004