Georg Baselitz was born Hans-Georg Bruno Kern in 1938 in Deutschbaselitz (Saxony). After interrupting his painting studies, which had begun in 1956 at the Weissensee University of the Arts in East Berlin, he continued at the University of the Fine Arts in West Berlin under Hann Trier. Baselitz has participated several times at documenta in Kassel as well as in the Venice Biennale, exhibited his works in the Nationalgalerie in Berlin, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. From 1978 to 1983 he taught at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe, and later became a professor at the University of Arts, West Berlin. Baselitz lives and works in Bavaria and Italy.