Between Protection and Vulnerability by Hannah Offermann at Hannah Gallery

Offermann’s series on view, Armor and how it forges relationships, investigates the concept of armor not only as a physical safeguard but as a structure of relationships and meaning. The jury highlighted the clarity and coherence of her proposal—from initial drawings and patterns to the final presence of the pieces—and noted how the work operates with equal strength both on the body and as autonomous objects.

Made with materials such as copper and para-aramid thread (Kevlar), Offermann’s pieces act simultaneously as extensions of the body and as independent forms. Her work engages traditionally opposing concepts—fragility and resilience, protection and exposure, subject and object—inviting viewers to reconsider how the forms that surround us can forge relationships between bodily experience, symbolic apparatus, and aesthetic presence.

As Offermann states:
My work primarily centres on interpersonal interactions, emotions and the way the psyche responds to different situations. I am fascinated by human interaction, both with other people and with ourselves. What influences us, and how can we improve our interactions with one another? My work aims to support us in learning and growing together, thereby contributing to positive social interaction.

This exhibition represents a pivotal moment in Offermann’s artistic development, offering a rare opportunity to engage closely with her practice and to consider how armor can serve as a compelling metaphor for our relationships with the world, with the self, and with the systems of meaning that shape us.