Book and exhibition

The cheerful side of an artist with a heart

Adolf Osterider at the 2014 exhibition to mark his 90th birthday at the Steiermarkhof(Bild: Jürgen Radspieler)

Adolf A. Osterider would have been 100 years old on June 18. The artist, who died in 2019, was one of the most important representatives of Styrian post-war art. An exhibition will be dedicated to him at the Neue Galerie in Graz from June 18, and the new illustrated book "weiter schauen" will be presented at the opening.

Adolf Osterider's wonderful landscapes, as well as his commedia dell'arte characters, are still heart-warming today. He developed his typical pictorial language based on Expressionism, which celebrated triumphs in the first third of the 20th century and also found its way to Austria in a slightly toned-down form.

In his works, Osterider skillfully combined exploding colourfulness with figurative elements. This made him one of the most important Styrian artists of the post-war period. However, he was also an important teacher who had a lasting influence on many artists.

The supreme discipline of the versatile artist
The artist, who always wore a smile on his lips and mastered a variety of techniques - from drawing to lead glass windows - called watercolor his supreme discipline. His family, including his wife Heide Osterider-Stibor and his sons Martin and Stefan, three active artists, are dedicating a magnificent illustrated book to these works, as well as many others, which will be presented at the opening of the exhibition on June 18 at 7 pm at the Neue Galerie in Graz.

The book cover for the new illustrated book(Bild: Osterider)

This book also contains many personal memories of Adolf Osterider, numerous photos taken over many years and sketches by the artist that tell us about his working methods. There are also some wonderful texts by Walter Titz. It is a heartfelt remembrance of a great artist and lovable person. 

The exhibition itself is made up of works from the Neue Galerie's collection and from the family's holdings and can be seen until the end of June. At the opening, art historian Margit Stadlober will talk about the artist's life and work.