Pop Expressionism A painterly exploration of the contradictions and idiosyncrasies of contemporary life and the human form. Humm’s work probes the emotive potential of Pop — a compelling negotiation between the familiar and the visceral. Here, the glossy surfaces of pop imagery undergo interrogation, fragmentation, and emotional rupture. This is not surface-level Pop — it’s a reconfiguration. Through distortion, exaggeration, and raw intimacy, Humm reveals the tensions that simmer beneath our mediated reality. His figures, charged with myth and subjectivity, transform the recognisable into something unsettling, tender, and profoundly human.
Life transformation
Philipp Humm, a German-Belgian-British multidisciplinary artist, commands a diverse palette of mediums—sculpture, film, photography, and painting. His provocative work, rooted in a 'Pop-Expressionist' style as defined by renowned art critic Edward Lucie-Smith, confronts contemporary and human issues with unflinching candor. Notably, Humm created 2019 a Gesamtkunstwerk on Goethe's Faust and the only feature film on Faust 2 ever. His artistic path is marked by a profound transformation 10 years ago: from a successful career as a tech CEO, he made a decisive shift to pursue his lifelong passion for art. This transition underscores his unwavering commitment to creative expression, fueled by a unique perspective informed by both the analytical rigor of the business world and formal fine art training at institutions like the Florence Academy of Arts. He divides his time between Milano in Italy and the South of France.
Press Quotes
“Humm is well able to join these illustrious confreres Gauguin, Koons, Calder, Kruger”Mike von Joel (F22) “Humm’s paintings succeed, very often, because they offer the viewer an echo chamber”Edward Lucy Smith “Humm has an instinctive understanding and a fascinating sophistication of each medium he uses”Professor Jean Wainwright
“Humm former colleagues treat him with a mixture of bewilderment and admiration”The Monocle “Humm's transformation from business Saul to culture Saul took place in 2012”Alexander Menden (Sueddeutsche Zeitung) “This balance of existential exploration and creativity is reflected strongly in the paintings”Kate Enders (Wallstreet Journal)
“Humm is considered a valuable investment in art circles”Martin Murphy (Handelsblatt) “There is an element of anti-art in his works that appeals”Scott Reyburn (The New York Times) “Artist Philipp Rudolf Humm is one to watch”(The FAD)
The Last Faust
"Some endeavours are so outlandish, so crazily grandiose, that you can only applaud their ambition. Such is Philipp Humm’s film version of parts one and two of Goethe’s epic verse drama Faust."Suzy Fay (Financial Times) “The Faust of the former head of Vodafone Europe is a total work of art - Gesamtkunstwerk."Ulrich Biermann (Deutschlandfunk) "Humm has dared to go where previous adapters of Faust have feared to tread"Stuart Jeffries (Guardian) “This is what no director has dared to attempt before, Faust 1 + 2” in a tight 90 minutes, like an avant-garde theatre piece with expressionistic sets and lots of thunderous lighting effects.”Hans-Georg Rodek (die Welt) "The feature is narrated by Steven Berkoff, who Humm says has the “depth of Kafka and the cinematic presence appropriate for Hollywood".Stuart Clark (Variety) “Humm has created his own Faustian odyssey”(The Art Newspaper) "So, if Art house and Faust are your thing, or you’re a fan of Steven Berkoff, THELAST FAUST, is for you...with such strong performances, this is a piece worth a look for that alone."Jane Foster (britflicks)
“Something you absolutely cannot miss”Jo Good (BBC Radio) “Humm has used Goethe’s narrative as the compass of his own retelling of his ever-expanding body of work. Big, immersive and rattling with intellectual energy, each painting, each photograph and artwork is referenced with a specific context that communicates emotions and ideas with a deeper social meaning” Jo Philipps (Cent) "Be you a patron of the theatre, a long-time fan of Goethe, or simply seeking an introduction to the story of Faust, this movie satiates all. Even the casual observerwill have a good time with this film."Dylan Andresen (Film Threat) "There’s absolutely no denying that “The Last Faust” was made with immense passion, dedication, and craftsmanship. The result will not be loved by everyone but it’s still a very peculiar, unique, beautiful and expressive movie."Liselotte Vanophem (OC movie reviews) "Viewing The Last Faust as a moving art work – probably helps. It’s a strange combination of the theatrical and the artistic, and while it certainly brings Faustian themes of hedonism into the modern day"Marie O Sulivan (the movie isle)
"Humm’s works have reinvented and re-imagined Goethe’s Faust intellectual relevance for the 21 century”The Eye of Photography "It’s a fascinating interpretation, and one that no doubt will be foist upon students of literature and theatre for years to come, confusing as much as enlightening them."Wendy Attwell (Set The Tape) "Humm and codirector-cinematographer Wieschermann create a staggering variety of vivid tableaux to depict this story, and the film arrives accompanied with paintings, photography, sculptures and a novella. In other words, this feels more like a museum piece than a movie, designed to tease and confront the viewer rather than to recount a coherent story with empathetic characters. Yes, it's very difficult, but Humm's purely bonkers approach is dazzling."Rich Kline (Shadows on the Wall) "The screenwriter and director here, Philipp Humm, was one who put his stamp on it in the style of video artists, a strain of modern art that adopted the latest technology to craft its imagery and put across its themes."Graeme Clark (the spinning image)
Exhibitions
Context Art Fair Miami 2023Art Expo New York, New York 2023Saatchi Gallery (START), London 2022Galeria Foret (START) Seoul, Korea 2022Royal Society of British Artists – Mall Galleries, London 2022Saatchi Gallery (START), London 2021Solo – Bermondsey Project Space, London 2020Saatchi Gallery (START), London 2020Context – New York, Modern and Contemporary – Los Angeles USA 2018Start / Saatchi London 2018
Solo – Dadiani Fine Arts, London 2019Saphira & Ventura Gallery, New York 2019Saphira & Ventura Gallery, New York 2018Palazzo Ca’ Zanardi – Its Liquid competition – Venice 2017Sunny Art Centre Art Prize (sculpture) – London 2017Gallery Sans Titre – Potsdam/Germany 2017Solo event – Luxury Law Summit – London 2017Solo event – Mark Hix – London 2017Solo event – Rolls Royce – London 2017Solo – CNB Gallery – London 2017
Solo event – Saatchi Gallery with Wallpaper/Rossana – London 2017Solo – Riflemaker Gallery – London 2016Werkhallen Gallery – Remagen – Germany 2016Walton Fine Arts Gallery – London 2016Ashurst Emerging Artist Prize – London 2016Broadway Art Festival – Little Buckland – UK 2016Best International Creatives 2016 – Art Quench Gallery.com – USA 2016Featured artist of the PURE Fair at Olympia – London 2016
