Early Works
1970–1982

As a child Roman Buxbaum has always drawn and he started with first oil paintings in the age of fourteen. In 1973, he went to the USA as an exchange student and developed a daily artistic practice. Back in Europe, he traveled to major cities, visiting museums and exhibitions—hitchhiking to Munich to see an Egon Schiele exhibition. He recalls:
“At sixteen, I had the opportunity to visit Varlin in his studio in Bondo, and at eighteen, I went to Cadaqués to meet Salvador Dalí. In the 1970s, his house was open, and I stayed for a week. I gave the master three drawings, to which he responded that I should practice. And that is exactly what I do every day!” RB (December 2024)

As a teenager Buxbaum set up his first studio in a tiny basement compartment. At that time he was influenced by the Surrealists, Impressionists and Expressionists whom he deeply admired. Buxbaum was painting on wood, using transparent glazes, enhancing the surface textures – a practice that he still uses up to this day.

In 1984, as a student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Buxbaum gave up painting and began working conceptually—creating sculptural objects and installations, initially centered around the theme of “painting.” It wasn’t until 35 years later that he unpacked his old oil paints and brushes and resumed painting.