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Helmut Leherb | Fantastic realism painter / sculptor

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Born as Helmut Leherbauer (1933-1997) in Vienna, Helmut Leherb studied at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and at the Academy of Arts in Stockholm, 1948-1954.
In 1955 he married Lotte Prohohs and moved to Vienna and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in the class of Albert Paris Gütersloh.
He joined a group of artists who later became known as the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism.
1959 exhibited jointly with Rudolf Hausner, Wolfgang Hutter and Anton Lehmden in the Upper Belvedere.




1963 - Created the Reactionaries Konfirmantentraum in Aix en Provence.
1964 - Maitre Leherb is nominated with his Zeitzerstörungsmanifest (Time Destruction Manifest) for the Venice Biennale. After a cabinet reshuffle his participationwas prevented by the new Minister of Education.
He took refuge in the completion of his "Explosion of Silence", a ceramic mural for the Central Savings Bank in the City of Vienna.
1964 - he moved to Paris. After the disappointment of being deselected from the Venice Biennale, he became more ambitious and developed a reputation and fame that opened doors for him to the main galleries of Europe.
Galerie de la Madeleine and Isy Brachot in Brussels, Galerie C.A.W. in Antwerp, La Medusa in Rome; Gallery Mokum in Amsterdam, Peinther-Lichtenfels and Wolfrum in Vienna and Galleria Viotti in Turin.


1972 - Leherb is tasked with designing four advertising posters to promote Austria.
1976 - Due to his success with his designs for promoting Austria, he was also commissioned to create several works to promote the Olympic Games in Innsbruck.
1980-1992, it took him twelve years in Faenza (Italy) to finish his masterpiece "The Continents", the largest ever produced Faience, a 380qm mosaic for the WU Wien. The ceramic dust caused some serious health issues for him.
He then produced a Faience for the Rehab Center Weißer Hof with more than 17 meters in length.
1989/1991 - created the oversized "Tor for an Imaginary Museum" in Burgenland, and from 93 to 94 the University Fountain, "A Door to Eurydice", in Badgasse in Vienna IX.
Leherb died in 1997 of a stroke. He was buried in Vienna’s Central Cemetery.



















Helmut Leherb anche Maître Leherb (1933-1997), nome di nascita Helmut Leherbauer è stato un pittore, incisore e scultore Austriaco e rappresentante della Scuola di Vienna del Realismo Fantastico che il surrealismo si trova vicino. Dal 1959-1963 ha creato arte nei parchi di Vienna, che esistono ancora oggi.

  • Medaglia d'oro alla Triennale di Manur, Belgio 1966;
  • Medaglia d'oro della Biennale Internazionale della Grafica, Firenze 1968;
  • Gran Premio della Fondation Internationale des collectionneurs d'Art, Paris 1969;
  • Lauréat du Livre d'Oro di Valeurs Humaines, Paris 1970;
  • Ambrogino d'Oro del Senato d'Arte; Milano 1972;
  • Elefante d'Oro e Gran Premio; Roma-Catania 1972;
  • Austriaco Croce d'Onore per la Scienza e l'Arte. 1 Classe, Vienna 1974;
  • Cavaliere Ufficiale dell'Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, Roma 1990;
  • Tribune del Tribunato di Romagna, Ravenna 1992;
  • Decorazione d'oro "per meriti" dell'Ordine di fondazione della Università di Economia di Vienna, di Vienna 1992;
  • Accademico Onorario dell'Accademia Fiorentina delle Belli Arti e Disegno 1967.