"Art: The Philosophy in Every Brushstroke."
Biography
Friedrich Zettl (born 1954 in Austria) is a contemporary artist whose work represents a unique synthesis of European Modernism and East Asian aesthetics. His artistic trajectory is defined by a radical paradigm shift: while his early career in the 1970s was rooted in Western Expressionism and Surrealism, his path changed decisively during his long-term residence in China.
From 1978 to 1985, Zettl lived in Beijing and became the first European student admitted to the renowned Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) following the Cultural Revolution. There, he underwent rigorous training in traditional Chinese painting (focusing on Xieyi – freehand style), calligraphy, and seal carving. This immersion in the discipline of the brush and the philosophy of ink fundamentally altered his artistic DNA.
Today, Zettl describes his approach as "Applied Philosophy." He does not merely paint subjects; he visualizes concepts drawn from Daoism and Zen Buddhism. His oeuvre spans from Zen Brut (gestural abstraction) to New Surrealism, always grounded in the immediacy of ink on paper. His works are not attempts to copy Asian styles, but rather a translation of Eastern principles—such as the flow of Qi and the beauty of the void—into a contemporary Western visual language.
Friedrich Zettl lives and works in Vienna. His works are held in private and public collections worldwide.
Influences
Arnulf Rainer, Huang Binhong, Oskar Kokoschka, Max Ernst
Education
1978-1985 Studies: Sinology, Ethnology, and Art History. Wien, Bejing, Wien, Bejing, Austria
1979-1982 Central Academy of Fine Arts Beijing, Beijing, China
The artist at work
Solo Expositions
1992 Verbandsgemeinde Birkenfeld Birkenfeld, Birkenfeld, Germany
1992 Verbandsgemeine Herrstein Herrstein, Herrstein, Germany
1990 friedrich zettl à bruxelles Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
1989 Kulisse, Wien Wien, Wien, Austria
1988 Presshaus Wien Wien, Wien, Austria
1987 BAWAG Wien Wien, Wien, Austria
1984 UNO Headquaters Peking Beijing, Beijing, China
1983 Peking Central Academy of Fine Arts (now CAFA) Beijing, Beijing, China
1982 Cafe Zentral Wien, Wien, Austria
1981 Ergo Nachtatelier Wien, Wien, Austria
Collective Expositions
2024 Imaginarium Sao Paolo, Sao Paolo, Brazil
2024 Boomer Gallery London, London, United Kingdom
2022 Group exhibition at Hong Art Museum of Contemporary Art Chongqing, Sechuan, China
1995 Kunstraum Lilo Berka - Georges Holper Wien, Wien, Austria
1983 Central Academy Beijing, China Peking, Beihing, China
1980 Ergo - Nachtatlellier Wien, Wien, Austria
1976 Bona Mente Wien, Wien, Austria
