Valentin Oman was born in St. Stefan /Šteben near Villach in 1935 and studied under Hilde Schmid-Jesser at the Academy of Applied Arts in Vienna from 1958 to 1962.In 1963, he completed the special class for printmaking with Riko Debenjak at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana.
In addition to exhibitions at home and abroad, Valentin Oman has contributed numerous works to the public space. Over the decades of his artistic career, the artist has developed a unique painting technique with an unmistakable character - pastose areas of color are juxtaposed with highly fragmentary cut-outs, which are the results of the simultaneously fascinating and idiosyncratic working process in which Oman detaches the layers of paint from the wall. In general, the theme of human existence is the main motif in Oman's oeuvre.
In his landscapes, the artist completely dispenses with figurative elements, but they captivate with their expressive colors, which lead to an intense tonality. Color is not merely an instrument; in Valentin Oman's work, it becomes an impressive, intense means of expression.
