About

“We will hang your artwork in the toilet.”
–art collector

{ths} is an artist, shown and appreciated internationally, and founder of the legendary BEAST Magazine. His works are a colorful and at the same time a dirty mix of photography, comics, newspaper clippings, advertisements, typography and handwritten quotes. From all these ingredients arise peculiar, almost abstract works of art, which on closer inspection, despite their abstraction, but also tell a story.

He himself calls his style “Neo-Trash”, meaning, in reference to the source material he uses (trash), the “recycling” of the material for the creation of something new (neo). Neo-Trash also means the transience of the art he creates. Everything is ephemeral and can be recycled again.

The term “layers” encompasses both the intention and statement, as well as the production (in the sense of the painting technique) of his artworks. Interestingly, the compound of two levels runs through his entire creative period. At first glance, he takes us through a colorful, beautiful, harmonious world. So deceptive, because the second look reveals the winking contrast or criticism of the subject. "The most banal explanation of my art would be a colorful balloon that children like to play with, and the second look reveals the word “BOOM!” printed on the balloon. Now it's clear to everyone how this ends." – {ths}

While his works used to consist of acrylic painted motifs, his current works, which could also be described as collages, are mainly created digitally, but just as finely arranged as with the brush. The computer takes over the task of scissors and glue, as a tool of the present time. Printed on paper, the process could end here. Instead, the motif is printed x times, cut out and transferred to paper or canvas. Layer by layer, this creates an original, comparable to oil or acrylic paint applied thickly, giving the artwork an uneven surface.

The artworks displayed on the website are shown in their original form as part of the artistic development history of {ths}. They may contain representations that are considered discriminatory today.

Read the full biography…

{ths} is without anger or hate, because it’s fondness for Elvis Presley and Barry White records, that continuous playing during working, make him nice and merry. Hail to the King, Baby!

STUDIO (DESIGN)

{ths} thomas schostok design was founded in 1999 and offers a range of services including: Graphic design, web design, illustration, layout, design concept, typography, logo design and art direction. Please visit his website www.ths.works if you want to hire {ths} for doing a design.

TYPOGRAPHY

In 2002, together with Stefan Claudius, he founded the Cape Arcona Type Foundry to explore the typographical side of graphic design. The foundry offers a large amount of typefaces that Thomas Schostok created since the 90s.

INTERVIEWS (ONLINE, SELECTED)

The Weird Show Broadcast #2: Unleashing the Beast. InterviewSpotify / Apple
pristina.org - Uma Entrevista com {ths}
PAGE - Best of Indie Mags
TOOMBES
FAQD – For All Questions Different
Proteus Mag
Collective
The Weird Show
Art Nouveau
BOLO Magazine
BAK Magazine
Art Bastard (in German)

BOOKS

2021, ›BEAST#13‹, Plastikcomb Publishing
2021, ›SOFT SUCK‹, Plastikcomb Publishing
2021, ›REIHEN‹, Plastikcomb Publishing
2017, ›Almost Ready‹, self-published
2013, ›{ths} Mr. Trash‹, eBook
2008, ›{ths} Mr. Trash‹, Sold out (Monograph)
2008, ›{ths} Hard Blow‹, Rojo® Editions (Monograph)

EXHIBITIONS & SHOWS

{ths} no longer exhibits in physical form until at least one million US$ is transferred to his Swiss bank account.
New originals can be purchased directly from his digital gallery {ths} originals

PAST SOLO SHOWS

20## @ {ths} originals 
2014, ‘Enjoy the Lies!’ @ Battalion, Amsterdam, Netherland curated by SUBWALK
2012, ‘Goodnight travel well’ simultaneous in different Galleries in France, Canada, Japan, Nether­lands, Greece, Aus­tralia, USA (Hawaii and Los Ange­les), Rus­sia, Nor­way, Brazil, Argentina, China and Turkey
2010, ‘Hail to the King, Baby!’ @ ‘Out of STH’, Gallery BWA Awangarda, Wrocław, Poland
2010, ›For All Is Vanity – Part 2‹, KALPANY, ROJO artspace, Milano, Italy
2009, ›For All Is Vanity – Part 1‹, ROJO artspace, Barcelona, Spain
2004, ›Midnight in Magic Kingdom‹, Espai Pupu, Barcelona, Spain
2004, ›WeShow!‹, Spaced-Out Gallery, Essen, Germany
2003, ›4bis1‹, Figaro, Barcelona, Spain

PAST GROUP SHOWS

2024, ›Los Raros/Las Raras: New Narratives of Contemporary Collage‹,  Municipal Exhibition Hall of La Pasión, Valladolid / Spain
2016, ›int’nl weird collage show‹, La Atómica, Valladolid / Spain
2014, ›199C‹, BLDG Gallery, Covington / Kentucky, USA
2013, ›We Love 8Bit Art Show‹, Berlin, Germany
2013, ›We Love 8Bit Art Show‹, Vienna, Austria
2013, ›We Love 8Bit Art Show‹, Hamburg, Germany
2013, ›Jörg Döring + THS‹, Sold Out Gallery, Bochum, Germany
2012, ›Almost Blue‹, Phone Booth Gallery, Long Beach, USA
2011, ›Zombie Art Show‹, Long Beach, USA
2011, ›Oh you are sick…‹, Phone Booth Gallery, Long Beach, USA
2011, ›dirtyworks vol. II‹, 30works, Cologne, Germany
2011, ›Jouwe Custom Toy Show‹, Outland Gallery, Netherlands, Amsterdam
2010, ›Jouwe Custom Toy Show‹, Arty Farty, Cologne, German
2010, ›Erotica‹ MARGINAL, Vejle, Denmark
2010, ›Mirabilia‹ KALPANY, ROJO artspace, Milano, Italy
2010, ›Trash Amok‹, MARGINAL, Vejle, Denmark
2009, Zimmermann & Heitmann, Düsseldorf, Germany
2008, ›In a Box?‹, Traffic Design Gallery, Dubai, UAE
2008, ›Hard Blow/YAH3‹, Berlin, Germany
2005, ›WIMP Remixed‹, UK
2005, ›44 Boards‹, USA
2005, ›Ranger Bastards‹, Indonesia
2004, ›Urban-Act 2‹, Studio 14, Rome, Italy
2004, ›X-Care‹, Eslite Vision Gallery, Taipei City, Taiwan
2004, Galerie ART LOFT, Port/Biel-Bienne, Switzerland
2003, Lucky Strike Lanes, USA
2003, Galerie Ralph Schriever, Cologne, Germany
2003, ›We are all Messenger‹, Foundry, Sydney, Australia
2003, ›King Big‹, CIRCUIT, CCCB.org, Barcelona, Spain
2002, ›Pussies+Astronauts‹, 55DSL, New York City, USA

PUBLISHED WORKS (SELECTED)

Sushi 13, ADC Germany
Refklektor 3, Fachhochschule Dortmund
Typo Lyrics, Slanted
Type Addicted, victionary:workshop limited
Custom Kicks, Laurence King Publishing
New Typographics…, Pie Books
The 1000 Journals Project, Chronicle Books
Data Pilot 1.0
On Barcelona, Actar
Slanted Magazine
Bulgaria Magazine
Nihao
Vierkant Magazin
rebel:art #01
Clubspottin 3.0
Bloodwars Magazine
Bloodwars, Volume One
Computer Arts Project
Computer Arts
Rethink Redesign Reconstruct
Salir Magazine
Cold, Rojo®
Revista AB Magazine
FreeFonts!
WebDesign Magazine
PAGE
Creative Review Mag
XFUNS Magazine
eDesign Magazine
DigitalXposure
PortfoliosOnline
The Designer’s Guide to…

LECTURES

2010, ›{ths}: Art and Typography‹, Galeria Design – BWA Wrocław, Poland
2010, ›Reflektor 3: Spieltrieb‹, FH Dortmund, Germany
2006, ›33PT‹, FH Dortmund, Germany
2006, ›Speaker’s Corner‹, Münster, Germany
2004, ›BD4D‹, Mannheim, Germany

All content Copyright © {ths} Thomas Schostok, 1999 – 2073