André Thomkins (1930–1985) was seemingly unbounded by any prevailing artist trends or conventions of his time. From drawing to sculptures, poetry to painting, Thomkins approached artmaking with unyielding experimentation, as an extension of everyday life.

Arguably chief among his experimental approaches to his work was the development of “Lackskins” sometime in the 1950s, works that could be broadly defined as drawings that were executed by his own proprietary methods. His Lackskins were only rediscovered in the last 15 years, and a show at Galerie Michael Haas in Berlin, “André Thomkins: Lackskins” takes sharp focus on this inimitable body of work.

André Thomkins, Astronauten (1962). Courtesy of Galerie Michael Haas.

Originally from Lucerne, Switzerland, Thomkins spent much of his life in Germany, and throughout his career was influenced by Surrealism and Dadaism, as well as by artists such as Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky. His innate curiosity led him to also study philosophy, literature, and parapsychology (the study of psychic phenomena). These intellectual pursuits are reflected in his practice, which taps into everything the expressive nature of language and music to the invention of new techniques—like the Lackskins.

Installation view of “André Thomkins: Lackskins” (2026). Courtesy of Galerie Haas.

Using a method drawn from the practice of bookbinding as a starting point, Thomkins variously dripped varnish from sticks onto the surface of water. Mirroring the process of creating traditional marbled paper, he then altered and modified the floating medium before laying a sheet of paper across the top. The film of color would then transfer to the sheet, the final result was only revealed when the paper was removed.

While the artist could manipulate the hues and forms to some extent during this process, lending to its association with drawing as he used sticks to drip and shape pigment across the water’s surface, the Lackskins inherently contain an element of chance. That ultimate control was not achievable through this method ties back to Thomkins’s interest in Surrealism as well as Dadaism, wherein subconscious expression and rejection of traditional aesthetics respectively were championed.

André Thomkins, Untitled (1962–63). Courtesy of Galerie Michael Haas.

The sheer diversity of composition that can be observed across Thomkins’s Lackskins offers a clue to the artist’s interest in the technique, which lasted well over a decade. From swirling compositions that feature portions that evoke woodgrain and billowing fields of canary yellow, to the more subdued, monochromatic Astronauten (1962), which through its title evokes an extraterrestrial milieu, the opportunities—like the artist’s imagination—were endless.

Installation view of “André Thomkins: Lackskins” (2026). Courtesy of Galerie Haas.

“André Thomkins. Lackskins” is on view at Galerie Michael Haas, Berlin, through March 6, 2026.