“Ecce Homo” – “Behold the Man” is not only the title of the exhibition, but the central theme of the works of the Carinthian Slovenian Valentin Oman. The human being in all its aspects and forms is the main focus of his work and the topos of his creative cycles. The present times show us that the theme of “Ecce Homo” remains current civilizationally, politically and in the context of the digital age, and will be in the future. The artist`s human portrayals are relief-like, multi-layered and fragmentary and are reminiscent of frescoes. The distinctive formal and material language of his works stems from imaginative stimuli from nature and civilization and is based on technically complex and multi-layered procedures on which Valentin Oman worked for decades, so that the imaginative stimulus in all its (im)perfect beauty and quality can be best transformed into an image.
The inspiring world of natural forms plays a key role in the creation of Valentin Oman’s paintings. He says, “Again and again I see patterns of my own formal language in nature.” These motifs serve as a source of artistic inspiration in the creation of fragmentary panel paintings and installations. Their abstract shapes motivate him to search for and develop figurative elements. In doing so, he always prioritizes preserving the imperfect, the unfinished, so to say the secret.
Valentin Oman was born on December 14, 1935 in the village of St. Stefan near Villach. From 1950 to 1958 he attended the Marianum in Tanzenberg, before studying under Hilda Jesser-Schmid at the Academy of Applied Arts in Vienna, graduating in 1962. The following year he studied graphics at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana. In addition to the works presented at numerous exhibitions at home and abroad, Valentin Oman has created more than 100 works and installations for public spaces. His coherent, multi-layered work, has made Oman into one of the most important figures in Austrian visual arts. As a Carinthian Slovene, he advocates for the preservation and equal rights of the Slovenian language in Carinthia. Valentin Oman lives and works in Vienna and Finkenstein.
