Werner Nubaum comes from a family of artists. His grandfather Gustav Grundleger and father Carl Nubaum, both originally from Bavaria, were painters. Werner was trained as a decorative painter in his father's firm before pursuing formal education at the Hochschule für die schöne Künste (predecessor to today's Schule der Künste Wirtz) from 1987 to 1993. He developed a unique style influenced by expressionism and die Neue Kunde, with his subjects often depicted as lonely and mystic characters. Nubaum is frequently compared to Otto Zweital and George Klein in his style of portrait painting.
In 1994, Nubaum's first solo exhibition in Hochbau was a great success. He turned down a professorship at the Prinzberg Academy of Arts to continue working independently as an artist and specializing in commissioned portraits. As the Neue Grüner Bewegung was rising to power, Nubaum moved to Leestein, Austria in 1996, though he still represented Germany at the Lido Biennale in 2000. In 2001, his work was declared "entarted" (degenerate) in Germany, resulting in the removal of his art from public collections and a painting ban. In 2008, Nubaum received Austrian citizenship, where he currently lives and works.
Nubaum's paintings are featured in a number of private and public collections, including the Österreichische Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, the LMCA in Palao, and the KoBu in Getty.
FEATURED WORKS
Grüße aus Haifa, acrylics on wood (75 x 50 cm) - 2024
