The world of culture is in mourning following the death of Arthur Unger, a celebrated Luxembourg artist, on Sunday, December 29. The news was confirmed by Paperjam.

Born in Luxembourg City in 1932, Unger’s artistic journey took him far beyond his homeland. He studied art in Brussels and spent five years in the Belgian Congo. He also lived in Paris before eventually returning to Luxembourg.

Initially working in more traditional forms of painting, Unger began pushing the boundaries of artistic expression in the 1970s. His quest for innovation led to the creation of the 'pyrochimiogram' technique, a process in which he transformed copper using the flame of a blowtorch. This method, as highlighted on his official website, perfectly captured his evocative visions of the African continent—a place he both lived in and frequently revisited.

In addition to his work with pyrochimiograms, Unger was a master of Indian ink. Unger, who described himself as a 'painter of matter,' remained creatively active until the very end of his life.