Friedensreich Hundertwasser

This colossal two-volume edition records the life’s work of prolific painter, designer, writer, ecologist, and innovator Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Designed and curated by the artist, it adheres to his meticulous cataloguing system and features nearly 1,500 pages and 2,000 images to document his entire oeuvre the way he wanted it, right down to the black-edged pages and colored velvet cover.

Limited Art Edition of 10,000 copies, with one of five color etchings, numbered and provided with the Hundertwasser estate stamp

Born Friedrich Stowasser, Friedensreich (meaning “realm of peace”) Hundertwasser lived and worked under the name he chose for himself. An architect, ecologist, painter, designer, writer, and innovator, Hundertwasser reinvented the art of living 24 hours a day.

This two-volume Art Edition brings together the lifework of this prolific creator for the first time. Hundertwasser began to number and catalogue his work in 1954 and had completed the task for his entire oeuvre, including short histories to accompany each work, before his untimely death in February 2000. He worked closely with TASCHEN on this project, designing the layout and the book itself, including black-edged pages and a cover with colored velvet on black linen.

Volume I contains a text by Wieland Schmied, a celebrated art historian and a longtime personal friend of Hundertwasser, with selected paintings, architectural works, projects, and manifestos. Volume II comprises Hundertwasser’s entire oeuvre, adhering to his precise numbering and information system, and includes his painting, architecture projects, postage stamps, license plates, and applied art.

Lavishly printed in ten colors, the book totals nearly 1,500 pages with almost 2,000 images alongside personal notes and commentaries. With an accompanying color etching, the result is a colossal testament to Hundertwasser’s work, the way he wanted it.

Limited Art Edition of 10,000 copies, with one of five color etchings, numbered and provided with the Hundertwasser estate stamp

This edition, the last book designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, includes:
Two volumes in a slipcase designed by Hundertwasser, lavishly printed in ten colors on rounded, black-edged pages
Hundertwasser’s original layout design
1,474 pages and 1,900 illustrations, documenting Hundertwasser’s life and oeuvre from 1928 to 2000, with many personal notes and comments by the artist
An original 24 x 20 cm color etching (9 3⁄8 x 7 7⁄8 in.), specially created for this edition, numbered and marked with the Hundertwasser estate stamp