H.R. Giger  (1940-2014) developed a strong passion for the surreal and macabre as a child, and the need to express his powerful imagination drew him to visual arts. Inspired by fantastic artists such as Gustav Meyrink, Jean Cocteau, Alfred Kubin and H.P. Lovecraft, Giger’s paintings are typically in large formats, populated by strange bodies, wonderfully bizarre landscapes, and frightening creatures. This ‘biomechanics’ aesthetic, however, goes beyond art: it enters the realm of magic.

The artist gained worldwide recognition after director Ridley Scott found inspiration for the look of the creature in his movie Alien in Giger’s art book ‘Necronomicon’. Giger’s masterful designs for the film garnered him a much-deserved Academy Award.

His fascinating biomechanical style found expression not only in his remarkable paintings, which have been displayed in galleries and museums throughout the world, but also via sculptures, furniture, architectural and interior design projects.

Photo by Annie Bertram