Painting by Roland Strasser

ROLAND STRASSER (Austrian, 1895-1974).

Roland Strasser, an Austrian painter of Basque descent, was born in Vienna in 1895. He first studied art with his father, Arthur Strasser, a member of the Viennese Sucession movement known primarily for his small scale polychrome ceramic sculptures.

Strasser next studied with Rudolf Jettmar and Julius Schmidt at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts between 1911 and 1915.

Strasser arrived in Java in 1920 where he met Willem Dooyewaard, a Dutch artist. In 1924-5 Strasser and Dooyeward traveled to Mongolia where Strasser found life little changed since the time of the Khans. In 1930 he published "The Mongolian Horde" with 21 sketches included.

Strasser also traveled in Tibet, Thailand, China, Japan and North Africa and then returned to Bali in 1934 where he stayed until 1944.

For years he had a studio in Kintamani above Lake Batur. He disliked visitors, and would leave his studio through a secret back door when not in the mood to entertain visitors. His paintings are often similar to those of Dooyewaard, although Strasser's works are generally thought to have brighter colors.

Strasser died in Santa Monica California in 1974.

Above: Roland Strasser's Signature