Thomas Häfner

Thomas Häfner (* December 24, 1928 ; † 1985 ) was a painter of Fantastic Realism . He was a member of the Young Realists group that formed in Düsseldorf in the mid-1950s.

As the son of the artist Herbert Häfner and the Jewish painter Ilse Häfner-Mode , he was housed in Ceylon for his safety during the Second World War through the connections of his uncle Heinz Mode , where he lived from 1938 to 1948. Afterwards, for the sake of his mother, who had survived forced labor in the Elben labor camp from September 1944 to the end of March 1945 , he returned to Germany and studied at the Art Academy in Düsseldorf .

In addition to his numerous paintings, Häfner also created bronze sculptures and jewelry. Just like his pictures, these were characterized by a dark tone. Memories of his childhood in Ceylon shaped his style, which was characterized by fantastic and surreal depictions of human figures, hybrid creatures and masks.

literature

Thomas Häfner. The painter and sculptor. 1928-1985. Life and work. Ed. Freundeskreis Stadtmuseum Düsseldorf, printing and publishing house Enger, Willich-Anrath, 1995, ISBN 3-922765-35-1 .
Ditmar Schmetz: Thomas Häfner (1928–1985) - The look behind the mask. In: Ilse Häfner-Mode. Images in the dance of life and love. Ed. Freundeskreis Jüdisches Museum Rendsburg eV, 2013, ISBN 978-3-9815806-0-0 , pp. 125–141.

Web links

Individual evidence

^ John Coulthart: The art of Thomas Häfner, 1928–1985.
↑ In this forced labor camp of the Organization Todt about 200 German women with one Jewish parent, so-called "were Mischlinge first degree " and " married to Jewish " from " privileged mixed marriages , housed" that there in detail J henchmen services in the construction of tunnels planned for had to provide underground manufacturing facilities for aircraft engines.
^ David Larkin: Fantastic Art. Pan / BallantineBooks, New York 1973.

personal data
SURNAME	Häfner, Thomas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German fantastic painter, member of the Young Realists group
DATE OF BIRTH	December 24, 1928
DATE OF DEATH	1985

[1] John Coulthart: The art of Thomas Häfner, 1928–1985.

[2] In this forced labor camp of the Organization Todt about 200 German women with one Jewish parent, so-called "were Mischlinge first degree " and " married to Jewish " from " privileged mixed marriages , housed" that there in detail J henchmen services in the construction of tunnels planned for had to provide underground manufacturing facilities for aircraft engines.

[3] David Larkin: Fantastic Art. Pan / BallantineBooks, New York 1973.