The artist's life
Political art
Bernd Wehner's lifelong dedication to art is rooted in his early experiences as a war refugee. Born in Silesia in 1943, his escape from the advances of the Soviet Red Army and subsequent upbringing in post-war Germany have profoundly influenced his artistic vision. Educated in the 1960s in Germany and Italy, Bernd Wehner has spent over six decades honing his craft in contemporary art. His modern and abstract sculptures and installations are renowned for transforming everyday materials into profound works of art.
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His art, political in the best sense, is unaffected and form-conscious but never missionary. Wehner responds to a world he perceives as constantly oscillating between war-torn chaos and the intoxication of security, year after year, decade after decade.
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The persistent themes of appearance and existence are expressed in Wehner’s work with tranquil clarity through contemporary means.
Biography
1943
Born in Steffansgrund, Silesia
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1960 - 1963
Completed a Graphic Design Apprenticeship
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1963 - 1967
Studied Arts at the Werkkunstschule Augsburg, Germany
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1967 - 1969
Worked as a Stage Assistant at the State Opera Munich and Bavarian Television, with additional stage assistances in Venice and Bologna, Italy
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1968 - 1973
Earned a degree at the State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe, Germany
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1973 - Present
Pursued a career as an artist in Freiburg, Germany
Bernd Wehner has lived and worked in Freiburg in Breisgau, Germany since 1967.