WALTER OLTMANN

Oltmann employs hand-fabricated processes of weaving and knotting to create intensely detailed sculptural forms. He takes beings that exist at the margins of our perception and daily experience - insects and small organisms we might barely notice - and renders them monumental. Each sculpture rises to larger-than-life proportions, magnifying the scale of the tiny creatures that inspire him. This dramatic shift in scale is central to the work’s impact, its contrast highlighting the complexity of life systems through scale.

Constructed primarily from anodised aluminium wire, enamel paint, and plastic beads, Oltmann’s creatures are a product of a lengthy and rigorous process. Through repetitive coiling of wire, he builds shell-like structures that openly display the traces of the internal make-up of insects, mimicking the slow natural process of growth and evolution. The result is multilayered and dense sculptures with stiff, bristle-like appendages, intricate ornamentation and a metallic finish that imitates elaborate patterns found in nature.

INSTAR disrupts clear-cut distinctions between humans, animals, plants and other lifeforms, suggesting a more interconnected and fluid reality where bodies share attributes across divisions. He engages playfully with traits found in insects and plants: flowers that have evolved bright colours to attract pollinators and insects that develop tactics for protection and survival, and channels these strategies in creating sculptures that blend pattern, colour and tactility.