Valentin Oman

_{St. Stefan/ Villach 1935}

Austrian artist Valentin Oman was born in 1935 in St. Stefan /Šteben near Villach, Carinthia. Between 1958 and 1962, he studied at the University for Applied Arts in Vienna under Hilde Schmid-Jesser. In 1963, he enrolled in the special class for graphic reproduction at the Academy for Fine Arts in Laibach / Ljubljana under Riko Debenjak.
Apart from national and international exhibitions, Oman is well known for many projects in public spaces. For instance, he designed the interior of the grammar school for Slovenes in Klagenfurt/Celovec, the wall painting and the Piraner via crucis in the Tanzenberg/ Plešivec church, and the translator’s cabin at Klagenfurt/Celovec University, which is decorated with letter bands of Carinthias bilingual toponyms.
Valentin Oman is honorary doctor of Klagenfurt University, holds the honorary cross for science and art first class and received the golden order of merit by the Slovenian state.
As Carinthian Slovene Valentin Oman is a strong advocate for the preservation and equal rights of the Slovenian language. He lives and works in Vienna and Finkenstein/Bekštanj.