Alma Haser transforms the quirkiness of the German language into sculptural images that blend humour, history and imagination. 

The artist’s playful new series, showing at the Print Sales Gallery from late April, explores the quirks of German idioms, their origins and often-unexpected English translations. Born in 1989 in the Black Forest to a German father and an English mother, Alma Haser grew up bilingual, sparking a fascination with language, wordplay and the poetic absurdity of literal translations – all of which influence her work. 

German sayings, when translated word for word, often take on a strange, dreamlike quality. Expressions like “We are sitting beautifully in the ink” (To be in trouble through one’s own fault) or “To have a tomcat” (to have a hangover) offer Haser a wealth of surreal imagery to explore. 

A defining feature of Haser ’s practice is her ability to merge photography with sculptural techniques. Many of the works in this series take shape as three-dimensional pieces, playing with folds, layers and structures that bring language to life. Haser attributes her sensitivity to the fluidity of words, in part, to her dyslexia – an influence that fuels her inventive approach to language and image. 

This project not only celebrates bilingualism but also reimagines language visually. Expanding on the literary tradition of absurdist wordplay, Haser creates a tangible world where the ordinary becomes bizarre and the absurd is presented as reality.