Board of Directors
The Board of the association consists of seven mouth and foot painting artists, including the President and the Vice President. These must be full members of the Association. The board is completed by the Legal Advisor of the association.
Serge Maudet
President
- Born: 01.02.1954
- Birthplace: Roussay
- Member of VDMFK since: 1983
- Painting Method: Mouth painter
Serge has lived with paralysis of his hands and legs since birth. From an early age, his mother taught him to use his mouth to hold a pencil, laying the foundation for his future as an artist. He says, “I was born with a brush between my teeth. Painting was my first means of expressing myself. As a child, I painted the things I could not do — painting became my way of expressing my feelings”.
At 17, Serge initially pursued a correspondence course in accounting but soon realised that this path was not for him. He chose instead to dedicate himself fully to drawing and painting. At the age of 22, he was awarded a scholarship from the Association, and in 1983 he became a Full Member of the VDMFK. His leadership was later recognised when, in October 2002, he was elected to the Association’s board at the General Meeting in Lisbon. In July 2013, during the General Meeting in Vienna, he was elected to the President’s Office of the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists of the World.
Serge received private tutition from a professor in Paris and has established himself as a landscape painter in the tradition of the French Impressionists. His work often reflects a deeply personal pictorial philosophy of life, revealed through many of his paintings and their details.
Each year, Serge participates in numerous exhibitions and also teaches painting courses, inspiring those who wish to embark on their own artistic journeys. His artistic success and engaging teaching style have drawn significant media attention, leading to frequent coverage of his work as a mouth painter.
Thomas Kahlau
Vice President
- Born: 18.07.1961
- Birthplace: Potsdam
- Member of VDMFK since: 1995
- Painting Method: Mouth painter
In 1976, Thomas was at high school and he had a swimming accident that left him with paraplegia and complete paralysis. From 1978 onwards, he began to teach himself how to perform many tasks using his mouth, including his first experiments with painting. During 1978 and 1979, he received private tuition at home in various school subjects, after which he completed a one-year painting and drawing course under the guidance of a painter and art teacher.
In 1986, Kahlau was awarded a scholarship by the Association, enabling him to focus intensively on developing his artistic skills. He became an Associate Member of the VDMFK in 1992 and was promoted to Full Member just three years later. In July 2013, he was elected to the VDMFK board at its General Meeting in Vienna.
The landscapes of Thomas’ native Brandenburg in Germany are a recurring theme in his work, which also features buildings and figures, rendered in oil, watercolour, and acrylic. His paintings, noted for their expressive quality, have been exhibited widely in solo shows across Germany and also internationally.
Throughout his career, Thomas has earned significant recognition for his artistic achievements.He reached a major milestone on 10 October 2000, when he was awarded the prestigious German Distinguished Service Cross by the President of Germany, honouring both his artistic accomplishments and his social engagement.
In addition to his work as a painter, Thomas is also an author. He has published his life story in the book called Die Kraft in mir (The Strength in Me).
Ann-Lund Wahlberg
- Date of birth: 11.06.1971
- Place of birth: Aalborg
- Full member of VDMFK since: 2007
- Painting style: Mouth painter
Ann has lived with spastic paralysis since birth. After completing primary school, she attended grammar school and later graduated from Aalborg University in Denmark on February 1997 with a degree in social sciences. From an early age, she learned to carry out everyday tasks using her mouth — a skill that naturally led her to begin painting and drawing.
In 1996, Ann exhibited her work publicly for the first time. She was awarded a scholarship from the Association in 1998, enabling her to devote more time to her artistic development while also working as a social worker. The scholarship provided opportunities for her to attend courses at various art schools, and in 2002 she made the decision to leave her social work career and dedicate herself entirely to painting. In 2005, she became an Associate Member of the VDMFK.
Ann’s preferred subjects include people, landscapes, and flowers, but she is also known for creating abstract works rich in symbolism. Her favourite media are watercolours and acrylics, as well as charcoal and crayons.
In 2019, she was elected to the board of the VDMFK, a position she continues to hold. Building friendships and connections with fellow mouth and foot painting artists around the world is one of her passions, and she maintains especially close ties with her colleagues in the Scandinavian countries.
Kun-Shan Hsieh
- Date of birth: 21.06.1958
- Place of birth: Taidong
- Full member of VDMFK since: 1990
- Painting style: Mouth painter
Kun-Shan grew up in poverty and began working in a factory after leaving primary school to support himself. At the age of 16, he suffered a severe electric shock in a workplace accident, resulting in the amputation of both hands and his lower right leg, as well as the loss of sight in his right eye. Confronted with these life-changing disabilities, Kun-Shan taught himself to sketch and draw using his mouth over the course of seven years. In 1980, he studied painting techniques under a renowned Taiwanese painter.
Kun-Shan became a full member of the Association in 1990 and, since 2002, has served as a member of the VDMFK board.
His artistic style reflects the influences of both the impressionists and traditional Far Eastern art. His oil paintings are characterised by rich variations in tone and colour and are a testament to his optimistic and humorous spirit. Kun-Shan favourite subjects include landscapes, still lifes, and animals, particularly river carp, which he captures in lively, flowing compositions. In his exploration of large-format painting, he created Golden Pond, a monumental work measuring 259 x 182 cm, completed over the course of a year. This painting earned him the American Visual Arts Prize from the “Association for Especially Talented Artists” in 1997.
In addition to his artistic achievements, Kun-Shan is also an author. His autobiography, I am Kun-Shan Hsieh, was published in 2002, achieving great success in Taiwan and subsequently being translated into several languages.
Tom Yendell
- Date of birth: 21.03.1962
- Place of birth: Winchester
- Full member of VDMFK since: 1996
- Painting style: Mouth and Foot painter
Tom was born without arms as a result of thalidomide. From childhood, he adapted by learning to use his mouth, feet, and chin for everyday tasks. After completing his basic education, he attended and graduated from Brighton College of Art in the UK.
In 1986, Tom s awarded a scholarship by the Association. He became an Associate Member of the VDMFK in 1993 and was promoted to Full Member in 1996. In July 2013, at the General Meeting in Vienna, he was elected to the VDMFK board.
Tom’s artwork is marked by a high level of precision and skill. He favours bold colours and dynamic brushstrokes, drawing much of his inspiration from nature. Among his specialities are ornamental and graphically striking Christmas motifs. He ahs exhibited his works globally.
In addition to his artistic career, Tom is deeply committed to supporting people with disabilities. While still a student, he organised an art seminar attended by 150 disabled participants, an initiative that sparked a long-standing dedication to advocacy and awareness. Since then, he has actively championed disability issues through public relations efforts in the press, on radio, and on television. Every year, he delivers lectures about his own life and the work of the Association, which are met with enthusiasm and appreciation. In 2025 Tom received an OBE Honors from the King.
Soon-Yi Oh
- Date of birth: 15.05.1966
- Place of birth: MaSan City
- Full member of VDMFK since: 1992
- Painting style: Foot painter
At the age of two, Soon Yi lost both arms in a tragic accident, which resulted in her spending many years in hospital. By the age of five, she had learned to perform everyday tasks using her feet. She went on to attend both primary and secondary school, and during her fourth year of secondary education, a teacher encouraged her to try painting by holding a brush between her toes. This sparked her passion for foot painting — a hobby that remains central to her life today.
In 1985, Soon Yi exhibited her work for the first time in Taiwan. That same year, she was accepted to participate in the Korea High School Art Competition. The following year, she began university studies and later graduated with a degree in drawing. In 1987, she was awarded a scholarship from the Association, and in the early 1990s, she completed a two-year art course. Her dedication and talent led to her becoming a Full Member of the VDMFK in 1992.
Soon Yi primarily paints landscapes in oils, and her works have been displayed in numerous exhibitions.
Grant William Sharman
- Date of birth: 08.12.1961
- Place of birth: Auckland
- Full member of VDMFK since: 1988
- Painting style: Mouth painter
At the age of 15, Grant’s life changed dramatically when he broke his neck during a rugby match, resulting in quadriplegia and forcing him to give up his dream of becoming a pilot. After leaving hospital, he secured a job with the Auckland Area Health Board as a patient advocate and counsellor.
In 1980, Grant was introduced to mouth painting by Bruce Hopkins, a mouth painter and member of the VDMFK, who sadly passed away in 1985. Grant’s talent quickly developed and within a year, he was awarded a scholarship from the Association. Just seven years later, he became a Full Member of the VDMFK.
Grant’s artistic work focuses primarily on flowers and landscapes, reflecting his deep appreciation for nature and strong artistic intuition. His paintings have been exhibited at competitions and shows throughout New Zealand and internationally, earning him numerous awards and honours. His story and achievements have also attracted significant media attention.
In 1991, Grant held his first solo exhibition. In addition to his artistic career, he regularly conducts workshops and speaks at schools and organisations, sharing his experiences of life in a wheelchair and offering insight into the challenges and triumphs of living with a disability.
Dr. Johannes Gasser
- Date of birth: 07.03.1970
- Place of birth: Bregenz
- Legal counsel since 2013