Herbert Felic Hofer was born in Wiener Neustadt, Austria inn 1946. After studying interior architecture at the University of Vienna, he followed this formal education with a brief but successful career as a window dresser at a large German department store. Hofer then embarked on a search for adventure which took him on extensive travels through Europe and Africa.

Hofer has gained international fame from his world wide exhibitions and has been described by the Austrian Cultural Institute as an artist who manages in his simmple way to touch the hearts of nations. The most famous of his works, 'Search for Paradise' earned him the United Nations Peace Prize in 1984.

Hofer's work has been avidly collected wherever he has exhibited. His work appears in the private collections of Fellini, Robert de Niro, Lena Horne, the Pope, Luciano Pavarotti and many others.

Herbert Hofer's whimsical, brilliantly colored paintings evoke the joys of childhood in universal themes. Hofer describes himself as "the Primitive Austrian" and his paintings as "modern primitives." They are folk art with a dreamy adventurous quality incorporating intricate design, tropical colors, and abundant floras. His work represents his own search for paradise in a spirit of optimism, joy, and peace.

To see a larger view of Herbert Hofer art, please click on the images below.