Friedensreich Hundertwasser only studied at the Vienna art Academy for three months and then went to Paris, where he established important ties and found his own style. He devised the theory of „Transautomatism“ and began to develop an interest in architecture. During the 1960s he had several exhibitions in Japan and received the Mainichi Art Prize. At the 1961 Biennale in Venice a retrospective of his work was shown. He reconstructed an old ship, which he named ‘Regentag‘ (Rainy Day). Hundertwasser was the first European artist, whose works were cut into wood by Japanese masters. During the 1970s travelling exhibitions of his works, and exhibitons of his prints, were shown all over the world. In the 1980s he designed the ‚Hundertwasser-House‘ in Vienna, the first of many realized architectural projects. Hundertwasser was made an ‚Officier de l´ordre des arts et des lettres‘ in France. From 1999 on he lived in Newzealand.