Family

Matthias Laurenz Gräff was born into an Austrian family of several politics and artists. He is the child of Helmuth Gräff, an academic painter, and Martina Maria Gräff (née Gach),^[4] art professor, daughter of the architect Richard Gach. His paternal ancestors were politically active and religious free thinkers with their own coat of arms,^[3] who belonged to an extramarital branch of the (De) Graeff family. In 2013 Gräff became chairman of the worldwide Family Association Gräff-Graeff (Familienverband Gräff-Graeff e.V.).^[5] Since 2010, Gräff has been in a civil partnership with Greek-born Georgia Kazantzidu,^[4] a Webster Vienna Private University graduate, local SPÖ politician and journalist, with whom he runs various joint projects.^[6] Gräff is Philhellene^[4] and the couple live in Gars am Kamp, Austria and Platamon, Greece.^[7]

Art

At the age of 17 Matthias Laurenz Gräff began to study illustration and graphic at the private New Design University St. Pölten,^[8] and in the following years he took part at the summer academy of Geras of Bernhard Hollemann.^[9] From 2002 to 2008 he studied at Wolfgang Herzig's masterclass of painting at the University of Applied Arts Vienna.^[4][10] In his work he combines a certain expressionism influenced by pop art with the expression of different genres: historical, political, religious works, urban or rural landscapes, nudes, flower pieces, portraits, interieurs and stilllifes including painting of vanities.^{[11][4][12][13]}

In 2010, at the 64th annual fair of St Pöltens Künstlerbund (Art union), he received the "Adolf Peschek Preis" (Adolf Peschek Public Award) in the Museum of the City of St. Pölten.^[4][14] Two years later Gräff created the painting for the vine etiquette of the Red Cross in Lower Austria.^[4][15] In 2013, upon the occasion of the celebration of the sister city of his hometown Gars am Kamp, Gars am Inn in Germany, he created the official twin city painting.^[16][17][4] In 2014, Gräff was commissioned to create three paintings for the vine etiquettes "Garser Wein 2014".^[18] A local businessman boycott the publishing of the etiquettes about the illustration of a half naked woman, and this led to a little media scandal in Austria.^{[19][20][21][4]} Two years later, Gräff again received from the mayor's bureau of Gars am Kamp a contract to create three paintings for the vine etiquettes "Garser Wein 2016" (10 years Garser Wein).^[22][23][4]

In his paintings, Gräff also deals with literary themes, including the implementation of the content of the author Erich Maria Remarque. He participated in large memorial exhibitions in the Erich Maria Remarque Peace Center in Osnabrück.^{[24][25][26][27]} The museum also features paintings by Gräff.^{[28][29][30][31][32][33]} His painting “Der Weg zurück” serves as the book cover of “Das Wunderbare, die Idylle und der Krieg: Aufsätze zu Erich Maria Remarque und zur Lyrik des Ersten Weltkriegs”^[34] and as part of the book Networking Remarque: Zum 125. Geburtstag Erich Maria Remarques^[35] both published by the University of Osnabrück / Erich Maria Remarque Peace Center Osnabrück.

Politics

Exhibitions (selection)

• 2023, „Networking Remarque“, Erich Maria Remarque Friedenszentrum Osnabrück^[24]
• 2023, „Ein Geschenk für Remarque“, Erich Maria Remarque Friedenszentrum Osnabrück^[24]
• 2020, "Weltweit Worldwide Remarque", Erich Maria Remarque Friedenszentrum Osnabrück^[30]
• "Deep Purple - Art and History - The exhibition". Celebrating 50 years of Deep Purple, Kunsthalle Köln-Lindenthal/Ger^[54]
• Gräff organized artist meetings with Nick Simper and Don Airey, musicians of Deep Purple in Vienna^[55][56]
• in 2017 he organized a charity campaign in favor of Polyneuropathy at WUK Vienna/AT ("Benefizausstellung zugunsten Polyneuropathie")^[57]
• "Garser Wein 2016", 10 years Garser wine at "Weinfest '16", Gars am Kamp^[58]
• "Der Anreiz des Seins, Allegorie - Stillleben - Landschaft", Kunst im Waldviertel, Kunst & Seminarhotel Geras/AT^[59]
• "Liebreizendes Griechenland", KunstSalon im Wiener Botschaftsviertel, Vienna/AT^[60]
• "Matthias Laurenz Gräff und Helmuth Gräff", Galerie Daliko, Krems an der Donau/AT^[61][62]
• Steirerschlössl Zeltweg, Red Bull Project Spielberg/AT^[63][64]
• Cityhall Korneuburg/AT
• Erstes österreichisches Museum für Alltagsgeschichte, Neupölla/AT^[65][66]
• Red Cross Lower Austria, Tulln an der Donau/AT
• Gaming Charterhouse/AT^[67]
• Siemens AG Headquarter, Linz/AT^[68]
• St. Pöltner Künstlerbund, Museum of the City of St. Pölten/AT
• Galerie Austria/AT^[69]
• Advent im Wiener Rathaus 2008 and ORF (Austrian broadcaster), Vienna/AT
• Diplom exhibition 2008, University of Applied Arts, Vienna/AT
• Kunsthalle Wien-Karlsplatz project space, Vienna/AT^[67]

Collections (selection)

• Erich Maria Remarque Friedenszentrum (Erich Maria Remarque Peace Center) Osnabrück/Ger
• Karl von Habsburg, head of the former imperial and royal house of Austria and the Holy Roman Empire
• Dr Karin Kneissl, former Foreign Minister of Austria
• Dr Erhard Busek, former Vice Chancellor of Austria
• Don Airey (Member of Deep Purple), England
• Dr Alexander Van der Bellen, 12th President of Austria, Vienna/AT
• Community of Gars am Kamp/AT
• Nick Simper (Founding member of Deep Purple), England
• Embassy of Greece in Vienna/AT/GRE
• Schloss Kornberg Castle, collection of the Counts of Bardeau/Grafen von Bardeau/AT
• Community of Gars am Inn/GER
• Community of Neupölla/AT
• Red Cross of Lower Austria, Tulln an der Donau/AT
• Austrian Red Cross, Vienna/AT
• Art Collection University of Applied Arts, Vienna/AT
• Geras Abbey, Geras/AT