Dieter Aschenborn

”Two Oryx” about 1970, Woodcut 110 x 50 cmDieter Aschenborn (15 November 1915 in Okahandja, Namibia – September 2002 in Windhoek, Namibia) was a Namibian painter. He was the son of the animal painter Hans Aschenborn.

Biography At the age of six, he moved with his family from Namibia (at that time South West Africa) to Stellenbosch in South Africa and shortly thereafter to Kiel, Germany. Later, Dieter Aschenborn returned to South Africa to work as a farmer. In the second World War, he was interned. After the war, Aschenborn became the first game warden of the Etosha National Park till 1952. In the park he developed his leather paintings which earned him a reputation in Southern Africa. He moved to Windhoek, and he was able from now on to live entirely from his art.

Aschenborn is especially known as an animal painter of African wildlife. He made himself also a name with drawings and sculptures, especially reliefs cut out of wood, which together with murals of his decorate several public buildings in Namibia. He also designed postage stamps for Namibia. He also painted on leather and parchment.

Dieter's son Uli Aschenborn is also an artist.

Exhibitions Solo 1966 Bloemfontein (South Africa)

Group 1965 "Three generations Aschenborn", Municipal Building, Windhoek 1968 Schloss Kranichstein, Darmstadt, Germany 1968 Interfauna "Im Reich der Tiere", Düsseldorf, Germany 1983 "Namibian Artists" University of Pretoria, South Africa 1992 "Eight and a half Aschenborn", Kendzia Galerie, Windhoek 2004 "Three Aschenborn", Kendzia Galerie, Windhoek