Thomas Dellenbach (dELLaS)
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→ My debut as a solo exhibitor in 2007 at the Klinik Gais AG.
→ In January 2008, I opened another exhibition at the Appenzell Hospital.
→ The next exhibition took place at the Gemeindehaus Au SG, also in 2008.
Next, I participated with two works in the world record event at the Galerie De Boga in St.Gallen and Hochdorf.
→ In 2009, I participated in the first group exhibition with a competition at the Internationalen Künstlerforum in Meisterschwanden.
→ My next solo exhibition was also in 2009, namely in May, at the Galerie Stellwerk in Heerbrugg SG.
→ 2009 Group exhibitions "Tendenzdarstellungs" and "Tendenz Abstrakt" at the Kunstforum International in Meisterschwanden.
→ 2009 Group exhibition "Balgart" in Balgach.
Exhibitions
06.05.2018 - 17.10.2020→ Rockgiganten
The works can be viewed during opening hours at Mimmy's Rock Bar in Ribeira Funda
06.05.2016 - 29.05.2016
→ First public exhibition of Art - dELLaS in Portugal!
07.09.2012 - 22.09.2012
→ Collective Exhibition
Galerie kleiner Prinz Baden, Baden, Germany
01.07.2011 - 23.10.2011
→ Artists from Holzrhode Visit the Rothus
Opening Hours: July 10, July 24, August 14, August 28, September 11, September 25, October 9, and October 23, 2011
26.03.2011 - 27.03.2011
→ Open Studio 5ünfstern
Warm invitation to the open studio of Art-dELLaS Thomas Dellenbach, in Kobelwald
12.03.2011 - 26.03.2011
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→ CERTIFICATE OF MERIT FOR ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT
The Pinakothek awards this certificate to dELLaS
Luxemburg Art Prize 2019→ CERTIFICATE OF MERIT FOR ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT
The Pinakothek awards this certificate to dELLaS
Luxemburg Art Prize 2020→ CERTIFICATE OF MERIT FOR ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT
The Pinakothek awards this certificate to dELLaS
Luxemburg Art Prize 2021→ CERTIFICATE OF MERIT FOR ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT
The Pinakothek awards this certificate to dELLaS
Luxemburg Art Prize 2022→ CERTIFICATE OF MERIT FOR ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT
The Pinakothek awards this certificate to dELLaS
Luxemburg Art Prize 2023→ CERTIFICATE OF MERIT FOR ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT
The Pinakothek awards this certificate to dELLaS
Luxemburg Art Prize 2024 -
Little Thomas's extradition took place near Zurich in March 1962. He was allowed to spend his first four years in the security of the Dellenbach family, the fifth of eight children, on his parents' mountain farm in the Emmental Valley.
Afterward, he was brutally taken away from his parents and siblings by the authorities. He was kept as a farmhand and whipping boy on a childless farm in the Rhine Valley. He was thoroughly alienated from his family and origins. He was forbidden to speak about his relatives. In return, he endured daily tirades of abuse.
He couldn't expect any love there. A third-class person doesn't need to be given love as a first-class person... That was the attitude of his child slave owners.
He started school in April 1969 at the age of seven. During elementary school, he was shown by every possible means how inferior a slave actually was. School lessons were primarily maintained with all sorts of interns. So it came about that a theology student led the class for half a year at the beginning of fourth grade. It was he who positively noticed Thomas's colors and formal language. He told Thomas this and encouraged his talent from that point on. A great ray of hope for the boy. So soothing for his tormented soul. The later pastor also managed to get subsequent teachers to continue supporting Thomas in his art.
With this wonderful opportunity, he began to make his slave life more bearable in a creative way.
Unfortunately, his early works met with complete incomprehension, even strong rejection, from his slave owners and his legal guardian. Many of the works he brought home from school were used as firewood.
When he was asked to choose an apprenticeship in ninth grade, he told his guardian he wanted to become a painter or attend an art academy. The guardian forbade him from doing either. His disappointment didn't matter to him. So he was enrolled at the railway for an apprenticeship in a shed.
He started it and became seriously ill. After extended hospital stays, he had to interrupt his training because he couldn't make up for the time he missed.
After recovering, it was decided for him to complete a cheesemaking apprenticeship. With little enthusiasm and lacking motivation, he began the training and graduated after two years as a cheese factory employee.
In his limited free time, he also dabbled in art during his apprenticeship, creating sculptures from waste (generated during cheesemaking). He placed them in a warm place to dry thoroughly. When the master cheesemaker discovered these, he yelled at the apprentice and threw all the sculptures away. This episode ended with the ban on such nonsense.
Afterward, he switched to drawing and painting with colored pencils and watercolors. Few works from this period still exist.
Later, he continued in this style. A lot of hard work, little free time, and a lack of financial resources shaped his work according to his own abilities. This allowed him to develop his current style over the past 50 years through self-study. Many describe his work as idiosyncratic and unconventional. He sees it that way, too.
With his background, it's almost impossible to do otherwise.
Hence his statement:
"Whoever understands me also understands my work; whoever understands my work will also learn to understand me." I'm looking forward to it!
Will you accept the challenge?
So he suddenly went through a phase where I, an absolute computer opponent, sat down at one of these machines and began to explore it without any computer knowledge. In any case, he started experimenting with the Word program. He enjoyed it, so he spent many nights and Fridays creating and deleting things. Until, after months, he was satisfied with his first work. It was then printed. In the 2000s, he did receive some artistic training after all. He studied graphic design online for two years. This opened up many more opportunities for him.
Shortly thereafter, in May 2011, he left Switzerland and emigrated to the Azores island of Faial. This brought about changes in his way of creating works, which are connected to island life and the originality of the volcanic island. His final breaking away from the chains of slavery should not be underestimated.
The authorities and arbitrary officialdom pursued him until the day he emigrated. He was harassed and often spied on. His three sons also suffered from the arbitrary treatment of the authorities, simply because he, their father, was hired out as a child slave.
He was finally able to do all of this.
dELLaS Art is a visual expression of deep spiritual feelings and emotions based on chakra teachings. I also use a tension-generating system based on complementary color juxtapositions. A large portion of my works are created using a unique symbiosis of handcraft and digital graphics.
