Hundertwasser in New Zealand - The Art of Creating Paradise | Andreas J Hirsch

'New Zealand is for me a kind of promised land.' Austrian-born artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser arrived in New Zealand in 1973, seeking refuge from a world out of kilter with nature. After travelling and exhibiting, he settled at Kaurinui, the land he bought and restored in the Bay of Islands. Wishing to unite 'nature and art, art and life', he was 'never nearer to this unity than in New Zealand'. Hundertwasser in New Zealand is a richly illustrated and accessible account of the artist's love of Aotearoa, his interaction with the people and land, and the influence these had on his work. Andreas Hirsch explores in superb, lucid prose the artist's trajectory in New Zealand, including the art, philosophy and architecture he created here, along with public projects like the Koru Flag and the Kawakawa Public Toilets. Illustrated with an array of paintings, drawings, sketches, photographs and the artist's writing, this book is itself an artistic statement that will connect with readers of all kinds and truly enshrine Hundertwasser as a New Zealand icon.

Andreas J. Hirsch is a writer, art curator and photographic artist who lives in Vienna, Austria. In 2011 he edited the book Hundertwasser - The Art of the Green Path and curated the exhibition of the same title for the Kunst Haus Wien (Hundertwasser Museum) in Vienna. His other writings include books on Picasso, Giger, Beethoven, and the history of Vienna.