Friedensreich Hundertwasser (December 15, 1928 – February 19, 2000), an Austrian artist and architect, was born in Vienna in 1928 as Friedrich Stowasser.  Always controversial, by the end of the 20th century he was arguably the best-known contemporary Austrian artist.

Hundertwasser's original, unruly, sometimes shocking artistic vision expressed itself in pictorial art, environmentalism, philosophy, and design of facades, postage stamps, flags and clothing among other things. The common themes in his work are a rejection of the straight line, bright colours, organic forms, a reconciliation of humans with nature, and a strong individualism.

His only formal artistic training came in 1948 when he started studying at the Akademie der bildenden Künste in Vienna, but he left after three months out of boredom. (Ironically he became an honoured guest lecturer, giving Master Classes at the Academy many years later.)  He remains sui generis, although his architectural work is comparable to Antoni Gaudí in its biomorphic forms and use of tile. He was inspired by the works of Egon Schiele from an early date, and his style was often compared to that of Gustav Klimt. He was fascinated with spirals, and called straight lines "the devil's tools". He called his theory of art "transautomatism", based on Surrealist automatism, but focusing on the experience of the viewer, rather than the artist.

In 1949, his last name evolved to Hundertwasser (A Hundred Waters) and he began travelling to Italy and France, hitchhiking with friends, exhibiting his first pictures in Paris at the Galerie Librairie Palmes in the autumn.

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