(1913 – 1985), Germany

Meret Oppenheim Biography

Meret Oppenheim's work spans an incredible variety of disciplines, styles and materials. She drew, painted, wrote poetry, created objects and collages and designed furniture, clothes and jewelry. Meret Oppenheim was one of the most unusual artists of the 20th century.

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Meret Oppenheim was born in 1913 in Berlin-Charlottenburg and died in 1985 in Basel. Already in her teens, she decided herself to do art and, in 1933, she traveled to Paris with a friend who was a painter. There she met Alberto Giacometti and Hans Arp.

Man Ray photographed them on a printing press in the cycle of images Érotique voilée, which earned her the reputation as the muse of the Surrealists. In 1936, she moved back to Basel. In 1956, she designed costumes and masks for Daniel Spoerri's production of Picasso's play How to Pack Your Wishes on the tail.

She lived and worked alternately in Paris, Bern and Carona. In 1981, during Oppenheim's lifetime, Galerie Krinzinger exhibited Meret Oppenheim in the gallery space for the first time. In 1997, a retrospective was organized which was shown at the gallery in Vienna at the Museum voor Moderne Kunst Arnhem, The Netherlands, Uppsala Konstmuseum, Sweden and the Helsinki City Art Museum, Finland.

Text courtesy Galerie Krinzinger.

Meret Oppenheim
featured artworks

Männlicher Kopf in der Diagonale (Man's Head at a Diagonal) by Meret Oppenheim contemporary artwork painting, works on paper
Meret Oppenheim Männlicher Kopf in der Diagonale (Man's Head at a Diagonal), 1977 Gouache on dark grey paper
16.2 x 14.3 x 1.8 cm
Hauser & Wirth
Mond gegen Osten ziehend by Meret Oppenheim contemporary artwork painting, works on paper, drawing
Meret Oppenheim Mond gegen Osten ziehend, 1978 Ink on paper
48 x 62.5 cm
Galerie Krinzinger Request Price & Availability
Urzeit Venus by Meret Oppenheim contemporary artwork sculpture
Meret Oppenheim Urzeit Venus, 1933/1978 Bronze
10 x 6 x 4 cm
Galerie Krinzinger Request Price & Availability
Gespenst mit Medaille by Meret Oppenheim contemporary artwork painting, works on paper, drawing
Meret Oppenheim Gespenst mit Medaille, 1972 Ink on paper
34 x 27 cm
Galerie Krinzinger Request Price & Availability

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