There is still real underground here

Lydia Thomas

The young painter Lydia Thomas from Chemnitz is one of the best graduates of the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. She now knows European cities such as Lisbon and Tampere quite well thanks to her artist residencies. Nevertheless, she has returned to her native city and tells us why Chemnitz is a particularly good place for her to work. She will soon be advertising the city on posters. That was "a matter of course" for her.

After your intensive studies, what was the first thing you did?
Lydia Thomas: I had a lot to do straight away, I started painting again. There wasn't that hole after my studies, as some people describe it.

You returned to Chemnitz and have your studio here. Was there a reason for your return?
Chemnitz is home for me. I can work incredibly well here. That's probably because you're most yourself where you were born. I have the best energy here. I don't know exactly why that is.

Lydia Thomas was born in Karl-Marx-Stadt in 1987. She discovered her love of painting at an early age and began training as a design assistant. In 2009, she went to Munich to study painting at the Academy of Fine Arts. She was a master student of Professor Anke Doberauer. Her diploma thesis was two paintings, each covering an area of 20 square metres.

What is it like for you to work here in Chemnitz?
I walk from my flat with my dog through the city park to the studio. That's nice sometimes. I usually work at night. That gives me peace and quiet. The work itself is done in stages. There are times when I work really intensively. Then I complete a certain section. And then I need a few days that aren't so full.

How do you motivate yourself?
I need certain goals like exhibition openings or something like that. The work shortly beforehand is already very excessive. Some of the paintings are still wet and are already being collected. A bit of chaos and time pressure is part of it.

How perfect does your picture have to be?
I live with the fact that pictures are not perfect. For me, that's part of the picture. And if someone criticises something, then I accept that too. I try to develop further.

The works of Lydia Thomas often show people who are absorbed in their work or in what they are doing. Surreal, sketchy and yet very expressive. "The viewer has to finish the work," she says, not wanting to add too much to the interpretation. She has also created unusual motifs such as mushroom-shaped incense smokers or a bronze-like cast of a confessional. She is planning exhibitions in the coming months, for example in Dresden. In Chemnitz, Galerie Weise is her first port of call.

How do you find your motifs?
I come across the things. They are all people or objects from my surroundings. I memorise them, keep them in my head and then work through them.

Do you also get artistic inspiration in Chemnitz?
I don't take any specific motifs from the city. But it certainly influences me subconsciously.

What characterises Chemnitz for you?
The city is unfinished. That makes it interesting. And the atmosphere is a little rougher. Finished cities like this are also nice, but it's more exciting for artists when something can still change. Here you can still do something yourself. There is still a real underground here.

What motif would you use for a picture of Chemnitz?
Spontaneously? The town hall! Those weird patterns on the façade. That's crazy.

Do you also get to know other Chemnitz artists?
Of course. Dagmar Ranft-Schinke is a great artist. I made a graphic portfolio with her and the poet Hans Brinkmann. My network is certainly still patchy. Bernd Weise from Galerie Weise is of course my most important contact here in the city.

Is it difficult as a young person to establish yourself in the Chemnitz art scene?
The beginning is certainly difficult. Deciding to make a living as an artist is a risky decision. You have to think about it. But there are great platforms in the city, like the Begehungen. And if you really want to, you can find good support here.

Is it also a good place to live?
It definitely is. There's everything here. If I want peace and quiet, I have a quiet place to retreat to. If I want people around me, I can meet up with friends.

You were an artist in residence in the Finnish twin city of Tampere. What did you learn during this exchange?
In the four weeks I was there, I noticed a lot of similarities between Tampere and Chemnitz. The cities feel very similar. The appreciation of art is perhaps even higher there. Working there worked wonderfully. I had really good accommodation and fascinating impressions. It was very nice.

Where do you hang a picture of yours that you are most happy about?
I'm always happy when a picture of mine hangs somewhere. So far there are a few private collectors. But one of my paintings is also in the Saxon State Parliament. It's even one that was painted in Tampere. Of course I'm happy when lots of people see it. And I find large surfaces particularly interesting.

Why are you taking part in the city's poster campaign?
It was a matter of course for me. I was born here, I work here and I live here because I like it here. So why not?

Do you have any goals that you want to achieve by 2025?
I have definitely set myself artistic goals. I like to paint on large formats, as I did for my diploma thesis. As an artist, I move very differently with such a large format. It's also very strenuous. But I would like to do something that big again. A fresco on a house wall would be an exciting project.

What will Chemnitz look like in 2025?
I hope Chemnitz will be really colourful by then. Not grey. Not beige. Colourful!