Individu en masse
In the work of Hans van der Ham his often atypical figures are not directly recognizable. Although most pictures are related to the human figure, they remain as such indefinable. From behind this ‘masquerade' however, they seem to expose in a different way. They often lack faces, but their attitudes speak all the more. Despite the robust clay they show a particular vulnerability, as if they question their own existence. Perhaps this says something about a possible hidden inner world? An adopted personae as a necessary protection against a ruthless outside world? The images do ask ourselves whether we survive as an individual in the crowd. Do we consciously hide ourselves behind a mask? Who can you trust? These are some questions Van der Ham asks himself.
