“A life dedicated to beauty, humanity and the planet”

Born in Geneva in 1957, Thomas completed his training as an advertising photographer in the United States from 1980 to 1983 at the renowned Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, where he graduated with honours after winning two scholarships from Fuji.

Back in Switzerland, he worked as an advertising photographer for a year in Geneva. During this period, he created his first series of abstract black and white art pieces.

Thomas then joined the International Committee of the Red Cross. During his years as a humanitarian worker, he had the opportunity to follow and learn new technologies in digital image processing. It was on his return from his humanitarian missions in 2000 that he developed an artistic activity and refined his particular style.

Thomas created a first series of digital works between 2000 and 2003, often still marked by very graphic elements taken from architectural structures and graffiti.

In 2002, Thomas founded the Geneva-based Aquaverde association, which supports the indigenous peoples of Amazonia in their struggle to save the primary forest.

He doesn’t know it yet, but this is where a grand adventure begins with the indigenous tribes of the Amazonian forest.

During the following years, Thomas created a large number of photographs during his repeated trips to the rainforest with his indigenous friends and began to apply his digital technique to his photographic artwork in the Amazon rainforest.

In recent years, his Swiss friends in the contemporary art world have encouraged him to develop his art form, which expresses his visions and immerses us in the unsuspected world of energies and spirits that thrive in the Amazonian forest. They are revealed to him through his indigenous brothers.

Indeed, in 2006, Thomas was adopted by the Surui tribe and thanks to Chief Almir Narayamoga Surui, he was introduced to some of the greatest and most inspiring Amazon indigenous leaders, deeply rooted in their struggle to save their peoples and the rainforest.

Among them is one who reaches out to Thomas and with whom he forms a close bond, the spiritual leader of the Ashaninka tribe, Benki Piyãko, who has an extremely high level of consciousness and a great vision for the survival of the planet.

The Ashaninka have managed to maintain their ancestral traditions despite the impact of the white man. They are the holders of the immense spiritual and pharmacological knowledge of the forest. Benki is now recognised as one of the most influential shamans in the Amazon.

And Benki whispered to him: “Thomãs, I see you suffering from your heart problems, western science has its limits, we want to keep you with us for many years. If you wish, I can heal your heart and open your soul to dimensions that your civilisation does not even know about, I will help you to find a true connection with nature, the planet, the universe. I will guide you to open your consciousness and strengthen your creative power so that you can become a voice of the forest heard around the world.”

And he does!

And the forest smiles.

And so it is that Thomas takes us through his colourful “Photonergetic Dreams” to the luminous revelations of an enchanted world.

AS AN ARTIST

from 1981 to this day

  • 2016 -2020: creation of the “AMAZONAUTS” series, metamorphic photography compositions search of the spirits of the Amazon forest, exhibit in 2019 and 2020 at the Deutsch Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland
  • 1999: Creation of the “INDUSTRIAL DISEASE” series, development of his digital style, exhibition in Geneva.
  • 1997: Creation of the WALLS series, first series of digitally processed photographs, exhibition in Geneva.
    1987: Experiments in black and white, photography of China ink on glass and aluminium. Group exhibition of portraits at the CHATEAU DE NYON, a self-portrait purchased by the museum.
    1982: Laureate of the Fuji Prize, the Brooks Institute and the Los Angels Art Center photographic competition and exhibition
    1981: Winner of a scholarship, photography competition and exhibition at the Brooks Institute of Photography, Santa Barbara, California

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2000 – present

  • 2000 – 2021: Founding designer, Greenwaters Design (www.greenwaters.com). Graphic and web design in Geneva, mainly for institutional clients.
  • 2002 – 2021: Founder and president of the Aquaverde Association (www.aquaverde.org), a Swiss non-profit association dedicated to the preservation of the Amazon rainforest by indigenous peoples.

1998 to 2000 INTERNATIONAL COMMITEE OF THE RED CROSS 

  • 993-2000: Head of multimedia production, Department for the Dissemination of Humanitarian Law to Armed Forces, ICRC headquarters, Geneva. Various ICRC photographic missions to Azerbaijan, Croatia, Serbia, Cambodia, USA and Australia.
  • 1992-1993: ICRC delegate to Sierra Leone, in charge of the Kenema sub-delegation, responsible for ICRC operations in the interior of the country
  • 1991: ICRC delegate to Kuwait: emergency response, Kuwait-Iraq border
  • 1990-1991: ICRC delegate to Sri Lanka, in charge of relief operations in Tamil Tiger rebel areas, Jaffna peninsula

1989 Advertising photo studio FLYING PIXEL

  • Founder, commercial, industrial and advertising photographer, Geneva, Switzerland

1984 to 1988 INTERNATIONAL COMMITEE OF THE RED CROSS 

  • 1987-1988: ICRC delegate in Thailand, responsible for the ICRC humanitarian operation in the IDP camps on the Thai border in northern Cambodia.
  • 1985-1986: ICRC delegate in the Philippines, responsible for ICRC humanitarian operations on the island of Mindanao.
  • 1984-1985: ICRC delegate in Angola, organisation of relief logistics, ICRC maritime and air operations, Angolan internal conflict.
  • 1984: ICRC delegate in Iran, ICRC work in prison camps in Iran, Iran-Iraq conflict.