To say that famed German artist Hans-Ulrich Buchwald has lived a colorful life is certainly an understatement. Born in 1925 in Breslau, Germany, Buchwald became involved in art at an early age, thanks to a family filled with artists who were influenced by such icons as Oscar Schlemmer.
While studying graphic arts at the State Museum in Hanover, he was supplied with oversized linoleum when the museum’s floor had to be replaced. As a result, he mastered the technique of creating huge linoleum cuts, to be used in creating prints.
In the early 1940s—when, as a teenager, he was still learning the arts—Buchwald was drafted into the German Army, and in 1945 became a prisoner of war. Buchwald told Windy City Times that an interesting aspect of being a prisoner was that Black soldiers treated him better than Caucasian ones. (‘At that time, African-Americans felt solidarity with us because of their mistreatment. They sympathized with us,’ he said.) During the time of his incarceration, Buchwald had his first sexual experience with a man. (He was a prisoner from 1945-1947.) Because Buchwald’s uncle took his own life after being blackmailed by a male lover, Buchwald made the decision to remain closeted.
Buchwald met Hella Feyeraband a few years later when she noticed his watercolors and asked him to teach her about them. Buchwald married her in 1955 in a union that produced three daughters. However, he began having clandestine encounters with men—and the secret nature of these experiences was expressed in his art. It was not until his wife’s death in 1993 that Buchwald—at age 72—announced his homosexuality. He decided to wait until then because, in his words, he ‘did not want to hurt his wife or his daughters.’ However, Buchwald also does not believe in labels; to him, sexuality is very fluid.
Upon looking at Buchwald’s works, viewers are bound to notice animal motifs—a reflection of Egyptian influences, he said. However, although those works represent a significant part of his life, one of his favorite works is ‘Tiger Tamer,’ which marks a departure from those influences and reveals things from a different perspective. Currently, he is interested in the mask theater that began in Germany about 20 years ago and that has quite a presence in Chicago. Also, people should not assume that the near-octogenarian is resting on his laurels; according to his daughter, Mariana, he still gets up every morning to carve—even though a large print can take up to one month to complete.
Buchwald’s prints are currently being exhibited in The Leigh Gallery at 3306 N. Halsted until Sept. 18. Call (773) 472-1865 or see www.theleighgallery.com.