Collection: Manfred Strastil

Manfred Strastil began painting at an early age and, despite Wilhelm Busch’s saying, “It is easy to start painting pictures, but hard to find people willing to pay for them,” he was already financially successful with his work at a young age.

In addition to Berlin, he lived in Paris and London, where he also attended art academies for periods of time. At the Jeu de Paume in Paris – then the exhibition venue of the French Impressionists—he had the opportunity to copy the masters directly on site.

He later chose a different path, enrolling in a film school in Berlin, working in television, and soon afterward founding his own film and television production company.

After initially producing commercial films (including campaigns for Coca-Cola), the focus of his work shifted to international documentaries for German and international television broadcasters. Together with a team of collaborators, he personally oversaw these productions as producer, director, or cameraman.

It was an exciting and dynamic life, during which he not only met many of the most influential figures of his time, but also traveled to most parts of the world.

Despite this eventful career, it was always clear that he would eventually return to painting. Three years ago, the time had finally come. It became evident that the years devoted to filmmaking had not been lost to his art. The unique experiences and encounters with people, places, and landscapes had sharpened not only his eye.