Gerd Hagedorn lives and works in the western Münsterland region. The nearby Dutch border significantly influences his artistic work.

Structures, textures, and natural colors fascinate him. As part of his training as a metalwork restorer, he participated in various seminars. There he acquired comprehensive knowledge and skills, especially in metalworking of different eras: Damascus steel forging, historical forging techniques, tool forging, casting techniques, and oil and poliment gilding. He studied  under Stefan Lasch Abendroth, Ralf Meyer, Manfred Sachse, and Hans Rottländer.

Since 1997, Gerd Hagedorn has been engaged in his own studies of fine art and had his own workshop from 2005 to 2022. His works, predominantly in metal, were created there.

“Iron finds me! It forces itself upon me and tells me what I should do with it. We get along very well and I’m grateful that this element keeps me alive. Why shouldn’t I breathe some life into it too?” he says. “Sometimes iron does exactly what I want, since fire is my Chinese element! But other metals and materials also get the chance to be manipulated by me. For example: bronze, alpaca, nickel, silver, and sometimes even gold. But stone, wood, and coal are also used. Structures are important to me, especially when they are of natural origin, like weathering, erosion, or deposits. But manipulations such as force, fire, etching, and even polishing are also regularly applied. Sometimes, impressive shadings emerge. From rough work to fine polishing, a myriad of light reflections are created, which can be further enhanced many times over through various processing techniques, from sandblasting to high-gloss polishing. The shades of gray vary greatly and form harmonious contrasts. Through targeted temperature treatments, color effects of astonishing beauty are revealed. My personal favorites are blue and violet. I would almost go so far as to say that iron can produce every imaginable color!”