Any paintings on display on this website may not be reproduced or copied without the permission of the artist or the gallery. Copyright 2005.
Otto Kuster was born in Karlsbad, Bohemia in 1941 and commenced studying art at the age of 14 at Kempton Studio of Josef Mayer of the Munich Academy. He also studied under Josef Konrad, the noted Bavarian sculptor and at the Kempton Technical College, obtaining his Arts Diploma in 1958.
Lured by the call of adventure, Otto arrived in Australia in 1960 and worked as a farm labourer, cutting cane in North Queensland, opal mining in Lightning Ridge and many other menial jobs before settling in Sydney and becoming an Australian citizen. He paints in oils in an impressionist style using a palette knife. He also does many paintings using the pastel medium.
He is well known for his Sydney Harbour and Street scenes, and held a succeful exhibition of Paris paintings in 1975. His other favourites range from Sydney's colourful Kings Cross, the bush with its many old townships, snow scenes to horse racing scenes and nudes. Otto is noted for dramatic light effects. A member of the Royal Art Society of NSW, Otto has held 26 successful exhibitions and featured in many group exhibitions.
For some years Otto has used his talents to teach others. He has held various private painting classes and painting seminars. His love of painting has taken him to places like New Caledonia, New Herbrides, Fiji, Tahiti, Panama, West INdies, Europe and around Australia, with many successful exhibitions as a result. In 1992 Otto was awarded a "Master Member of Aesthetic and Visual Literacy (M.A.V.L) from the University of NSW.
Otto is a memeber of a group of artists known as the "Palette Knife Painters of the Sutherland Shire".
Click here to view some of Otto's work.