Halwachs Heinz

Heinz Halwachs was born without arms. The cause of this disability was the thalidomide drug prescribed for his mother during pregnancy. After two years of elementary school he moved to a home in Vienna where it was possible to provide him with better care for his disability and where he obtained his school graduation certificates. He made his first attempts to grip, to play and to write using his feet during childhood. When he was about 20 years old he started to paint with his right foot, receiving training from an academic painter in Vienna. Much about the same time he was also granted a scholarship by the Association and became a Regular VDMFK Member in 1992. Landscapes and flowers are the subjects of the majority of watercolour paintings by Heinz Halwachs. His pictures are the expression of a contented, satisfied life that he leads in the circle of his family and the local community. The foot painter achieved a remarkable success in August 2001 when he opened a gallery of his own in his home community where his work is exhibited all year round. He can also look back on several exhibition participations at home and abroad. His activities include painting demonstrations and workshops in nursery and other schools.