Holger Bunk was born in Essen in 1954. He studied at the Düsseldorf Art Academy from 1974 to 1982 under Professor Alfonso Hüppi, with whom he was also a master’s student in 1978. Beginning in 1992, Bunk has been a professor at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart.

Set against the context of art education at the Düsseldorf Art Academy that was more oriented towards abstraction, and the exhibition industry that was dominated by conceptual art, as early as the 1970s.

Holger Bunk made a conscious decision in favour of figurative painting. Independently, and somewhat as a lone figure, Bunk advocated the resurrection of the figurative in art history, and showed an enthusiasm for English and American Pop Art.

In the foreground of his paintings, figures, living beings and objects appear. His works are snapshots of reality but with a personal slant. He observes, interprets and stages situations in which the people depicted are shown in a certain posture and psychological state.

In 1978, Holger Bunk took part in the legendary "Hammer Exhibition" in Basel. In an empty factory building, the young artist was allocated an entire room in which he displayed, amongst other things, the present work. The gallery owner, Felix Handschirn, organized this exhibition, which brought together the experimental avant-garde of his time, including Jean Tinguely, Bernhard Luginbühl, Niki de Saint Phalle and Eva Aeppli, and they presented visitors with completely new challenges in the way art is received. In addition, an extensive supporting program with catering and a newspaper made the exhibition a controversial public attraction.