Artists / Gallery

The artist Arik Brauer (painter, graphic artist, stage designer, singer, songwriter) is one of the main representatives of the "Wiener Schule des Phantastischen Realismus" (Vienna School of Phantastic Realists).

Erich, later named Arik, was born 1929 in Vienna and was haunted by the Nazis due to his Jewish origin. His later on colleagues Ernst Fuchs and Friedensreich Hundertwasser suffered the same fate. After World War II Brauer studied painting with Albert Paris Gütersloh. During this time Brauer founded the Vienna School of Phantastic Realists, together with Ernst Fuchs, Rudolf Hausner, Wolfgang Hutter and Anton Lemden. Already in 1953 this group gained great popularity with a world wide travelling exhibition.

Brauer and his family live in Vienna and since the 1960s also in Israel. Besides his artistic activity, he created stage designs e.g. for the Vienna State Opera, the Zurich Opera or the Paris Opera. 1986 to 1997 Arik Brauer was Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. 1991 he began with the artistic design of the Arik-Brauer-House in the 6th Viennese district.

Brauer is known as a storyteller. His work is distinguished by colourful areas, attention to detail and the integration of current political events in dream- and fairy tale-like depictions. Brauer refers to themes from the Old Testament. His phantastic world is inhabited by humans, animals and plants and stimulates the fantasy of the beholder.

Arik Brauer passed away on 21 January 2021 in Vienna.