Theo Meier was born in Basle, Switzerland, in 1908. As a young man he was schooled at the Basle School of Art, and then went to Germany to attend Berlin Academy. In Berlin, Meier became acquainted with well-known artists such as Karl Hofer, Max Liebermann, Otto Dix, and Emil Nolde, a contemporary painter whom he highly respected. He then travelled to Dresden, and enrolled in Dresden Academy where he studied under Otto Dix, who helped to refine Meier's artistic style. After returning to Switzerland Meier was commissioned to paint portraits of renowned musicians Arthur Honegger and Igor Stravinsky.

Meier, who had admired Gauguin and the writings of Jacques Rousseau, then set sail on his own tour of the South Pacific. In Tahiti he was inspired by the vibrant natural beauty of the island, as well as by its native women, and Meier's sojourn on the island transformed his painting style. After leaving Tahiti he returned to Basle for a short time, but soon disembarked to Singapore, and then Bali, where he chose to live. He set up residence on the south side of the island at Sanur, and there, he became acquainted with fellow artist Walter Spies. In his time on the island he would marry two Balinese women, the second of whom, named Made Pergi, was the subject of some of his most outstanding portraits. As a citizen of a neutral country Meier remained on the island during WWII and continued painting despite the Japanese occupation, yet dozens of his paintings were lost to war-time privations.

In 1957 Meier finally left Bali, and after again returning home to Switzerland, he travelled to Thailand. In 1961 he settled in Chiang Mai, where he lived and continued to paint until his death in 1982. Some of Theo Meier's best known paintings include Landscape in Morea, The Three Guardians and Offering to the Sea God.

Source:
Jeff Blackwell for Tobin Reese Fine Art

Theo Meier was a Swiss painter. He was born in Basel in 1908, and first attended the local art school.

His breakthrough as an artist came with the commissioned portrait of Jakob Schaffner. Schaffner had suggested he make the acquaintance with various artists such as Max Liebermann, Karl Hofer, Otto Dix and Emil Nolde. The encounter with Gauguin and his primitive, exotic painting impressed him greatly.

Several trips brought him to the South Pacific, Guadeloupe, Martinique or Tahiti, and Bali, among others. Inspired by the culture, the women, and the landscape of Bali, he decided to emigrate there. Therefore, his works are characterized by these exotic subjects.

Theo Meier, born in 1908 in Basel, Switzerland, was an artist known for his vibrant odyssey spanning from Switzerland to the South Pacific, notably Bali and Thailand. Inspired by Rousseau and Gauguin, Meier embarked on a transformative journey to the South Pacific at the age of twenty-four, exploring Tahiti and Bali. Bali became his muse, where he painted the people and landscapes for 15 years before briefly returning to Switzerland. In 1957, he settled in Thailand, capturing the essence of his Thai and Balinese subjects through his art.