Anselm Kiefer - German (b. 1945)

Anselm Kiefer was born in Donaueschingen, Germany in 1945, a few months before the end of the Second World War. In his works, he explores historical themes, and ruminations about national identity, in particular of the relics of German history. He studied law before devoting himself to painting, attending the School of Fine Arts at Freiburg-im-Breisgau, Germany, then the Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe, Germany. Inspired by history, mythology, and literature Kiefer often uses these materials as the prime source of his work.