Dirk Harms

Dirk Harms was born in Pretoria (South Africa) in 1963. Inspired by his parents, he decided on two different career paths: on the one hand, Harms works as a doctor in the fields of general medicine and palliative medicine, and on the other hand as a sculptor in the artistic field. As a sculptor, he received his basic training from the sculptors Cornelia Pots and Elly Holm, his aunt and his grandmother, which was supplemented by various study trips. Since 1982, he has regularly taken part in exhibitions and received major commissions in public spaces. After studying medicine (1982-87) and holding various positions at hospitals in South Africa and Namibia, he moved to Berlin in 1993. In 2024 he received his doctorate in palliative medicine. Between 2009 and 2024 he was a medical managing director of a palliative care unit in Brandenburg an der Havel and the surrounding area. Today he lives and works as a sculptor in Brandenburg an der Havel. Dirk Harms uses the possibilities of philosophy, primarily phenomenology, and art theory to constantly reflect on his two fields of activity and the connections between them. Above all, his work in palliative medicine, in which he is constantly confronted with people and their situation in the face of their own impending death, has a great influence on Harms as an artist: topics such as the transience of human beings, the human condition, suffering and the meaning of life lead him to philosophical thoughts that materialize directly in works of art. Technically speaking, he can choose from a wide range of options and, like many artists today, he is no longer fixated on just one style. He likes to draw on the classical modernism of Ernst Barlach or Käthe Kollwitz when it comes to smaller bronzes that move in the existentialist field of themes. However, he can also experiment with linen and flexible metal and set up “Dancing Ghosts” at the Engelstor in Plaue near Brandenburg, which remind us in a stimulating way of another dimension. Just as Theodor Adorno emphasized the engimatic nature of art and Immanuel Kant emphasized a certain kind of “more”, Harms also emphasizes that each of his works of art has a meaning. This is, as Umberto Eco noted, “open” and will be brought to completion by each viewer anew. Harms sees himself in this postmodern tradition of thought. Dirk Harms’ sculptures can be found in public spaces and in various private collections. He has participated in many group exhibitions in South Africa and Germany and has been represented by the LDXArt Gallery since 2025.