Man is the central element of Martin Haake’s collages. The human being shapes and forms the narrative and the relationships within it. Haake studied in Berlin and works as a freelance illustrator in London, Hamburg, and Berlin. His works have been showcased within various European exhibitions.

After a phase in which he mainly produced drawings and paintings, he soon devoted his talent entirely to classic hand-made collage. His method of work is distinguished by his intuitive approach. Either he starts with a basic idea which then inspires he search for applicable graphic material, or he utilises a material, which lends itself to the birth of a concept. Haake’s repertoires often play on funny fragments of pop-culture, technology, or everyday life.

His figures are trimmed, masked, and displaced within a recently abstracted background. Critical still are his proportional contrasts and improbabilities, for example a gaping red mouth depicted floating next to a proportionally smaller head. Haake’s method never fails to entice references to a generation of insecurity, nudging the imaginations of his audience into an artistic parallel universe.

Haake’s narrative element is also a crucial component to his work. Independent of narrative, however, the work’s cartoon animated figures lend themselves to a sequential impression. The collage technique is archetypal Haake as well as his famous role models, such as the Dadasists. Through the correlation of elements ascribed to pop-culture, an idiosyncratic unique mélange of humor, secrecy and subtly is comprised.

Biography

*1964 born in Oldenburg (DE)

/ 1985 - 1989 studied Gesellschafts- und Wirtschaftskommunikation GWK at Hochschule für Künste Berlin

/ currently living as an illustrator in Berlin

Awards

2002 Art Directors Club Germany, Silver Award

2003 Silver Award Yellow Pencil DAD

2004 Art Directors Club Germany, Drawing

Exibitions

2006 Illustrative Preview, Galerie Johanssen, Berlin

2006 Illustrative 06 Berlin

2007 Illustrative 07 Berlin

2007 Illustrative 07 Paris

2008 The Return of the Doodle, Galerie Johanssen, Berlin

Family I 53 x 49 cm / Acrylic on paper, collage

Family II 77 x 54.5 cm / Acrylic on paper, collage

Family III 81.5 x 81.5 cm / Acrylic on paper, collage

Hairy people 53 x 49 cm / Acrylic on paper, collage

Bus of the ancient Kings 77 x 57 cm / Acrylic on paper

Elizabeth II 31 x 25 cm / Acrylic on cardboard

Amazonasmonster 71.5 x 71.5 / Acrylic on cardboard

Ranjit Singh 61 x 56.5 cm / Acrylic on cardboard

Elizabeth Taylor? 53.5 x 60 cm / Acrylic on paper, collage

Words of Wisdom 42 x 35 cm / Acrylic on cardboard

Satellite 81.5 x 81.5 cm / Acrylic on cardboard

Still 300 miles to Balmoral 100 x 80 cm / Acrylic on canvas

Brad Pitt at the supermarket 80 x 100 cm / Acrylic on canvas