Martina
Hoffmann
My
canvases speak the language of my dreams.
German-born
artist Martina Hoffmann’s paintings are directly inspired
by the realms of the dream, the unconscious and the superconscious.
“Bringing back these images is about communication. The
painting becomes the otherworldly blueprint from which we
can translate into human context. The message is simple: If
we allow it, there is no limit to form and content.
This holds the potential for us to be able to create a reality
as beautiful, healthy and strong as our imagination permits.”
Hoffmann’s work has been exhibited internationally.
She teaches painting classes together with her husband, Fantastic
Realist Robert Venosa, all over the world.
German-born
artist, Martina Hoffmann, spent her childhood in Cameroon,
equatorial West Africa, where she grew up surrounded by three
different
cultures: the German heritage in her home, French schooling
and social life, and the indigenous African culture which
informed and enriched her life at the deepest instinctual
levels. Having been raised multi-lingually helped open the
door for an understanding of the importance of communication
early on. Growing up as white minority in black Africa instilled
the desire to help create, through art, a global integral
culture that will one day be united under 'One Spirit'.
Later
back in Germany she majored in art with professor Kiefer (father
of
Anselm Kiefer) and studied sculpting at the Johann Wolfgang
Goethe
University in Frankfurt with Professor Spelmann.
Hoffmann
works as a painter and sculptress. Her unique iconography
has been greatly inspired by expanded states of consciousness;
the realms of the imagination, meditation, shamanic work and
the dream state. Much of her imagery shows a deep connection
to the sacred feminine while her sculptural work is undeniably
influenced by African energy. Hoffmann feels that her work
is best described by the term 'Transformational Art'. Her
paintings are manifested by allowing the creative channels
to act as an oracle for herself as well as the human family.
"Bringing
back these images is about communication. The painting becomes
the otherworldly blueprint from which we can translate into
human context. The message is simple: If we allow it, there
is no limit to form and content. This holds the potential
for us to be able to create a reality as beautiful, healthy
and strong as our imagination permits."
For
the past ten years, Hoffmann has taught painting workshops
with her
husband, Robert Venosa, at centers and institutes such as
Esalen,
Big Sur, California, the CIIS (California Institute of Integral
Studies,
San Francisco), The Crossings, Austin, Texas, Skyros Institute
(Greece), The Santa Reparata International School of Art in
Florence,
Italy, as well as at various private retreat centers around
the world.
She has spoken at the AllChemical Arts Conference in Kona,
Hawaii, the
Entheogens, Transcendence & Creativity - Panel at Naropa
University in
Boulder, Colorado, the Prophets Conference in Santa Fe, New
Mexico, the
MindStates Conference, Berkeley, California, Boom Festival,
Portugal as well as Synergenesis, San Francisco, California.
Her
work has been exhibited and collected worldwide, as well as
being
published internationally in books and calendars such as Noospheres,
Pomegranate Artbooks, Illuminatus, Fine Arts Press, Drinking
Lightning,
Shambhala Publications, One Source, Sacred Journeys, Markowitz
Publishers, Psychonautische Landkarte, Steiner & Hirsl,
The Return Of The Great Goddess, Shambala Publications, and
magazines such as Magical Blend, Shaman's Drum, MAPS, Entheogene
Blätter, Wellbeing Magazine, Expose, We'Moon, Nexus and
the 13 Moon Universal Calendar.
Hoffmann
has also designed CD covers and created original photography
and art for CDs such as Kitaro's Mandala, Nawang Ketchog's
Karuna, Double Dose's Sense Of Spirit and Kan'Nal's Dreamwalker.
The artist lives and works both in the US and Spain.