Ulrich Hachulla was born in Heydebreck/Upper Silesia in 1943. After fleeing and relocating in Halle (Saale), he began taking drawing lessons in 1950. From 1963 to 1968, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Leipzig under Werner Tübke and Bernhard Heisig, among others, and graduated with a diploma in painting and graphic art. He then worked as a freelancer in Leipzig before taking on various positions at his former school from 1974. In 1993, he was appointed professor of graphic art and etching, which he held until his retirement in 2008. He was awarded the Art Prize of the City of Leipzig in 1978 and the Art Prize of the GDR in 1983. He lives and works in Leipzig.

Ulrich Hachulla was born in Heydebreck/Upper Silesia in 1943. After fleeing and relocating in Halle (Saale), he began taking drawing lessons in 1950. From 1963 to 1968, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Leipzig under Werner Tübke and Bernhard Heisig, among others, and graduated with a diploma in painting and graphic art. He then worked as a freelancer in Leipzig before taking on various positions at his former school from 1974. In 1993, he was appointed professor of graphic art and etching, which he held until his retirement in 2008. He was awarded the Art Prize of the City of Leipzig in 1978 and the Art Prize of the GDR in 1983. He lives and works in Leipzig.

Born 1937 in Crimmitschau near Zwickau (Saxony), Peter Graf attended drawing courses at the Zwickau adult education center from 1949 to 1950 under the direction of Karl Michel. In 1952, he moved to Dresden, where he took lessons from Heinz Drache and formed close friendships with artists such as Winfried Dierske, Peter Herrmann, Ralf Winkler (A.R. Penck), and Peter Makolies. Starting in 1953, he was a student of Jürgen Böttcher (Strawalde) in evening courses at the adult education center. In 1956, Graf began his studies at the Weissensee University of the Arts under Toni Mau in East Berlin. In 1971, he was one of the co-founders of the artist group “Lücke” and joined the Association of Visual Artists of the GDR in 1975. His work was honored with numerous awards, including the Hans-Theo Richter Prize of the Saxon Academy of Arts (2001). From 1985, he worked as a freelance artist in Dresden and later in Radebeul, where he lives with his family since 2002.

Peter Sylvester was born in Saalfeld (Thuringia) in 1937. From 1951 to 1954, he completed an apprenticeship as a process engraver. In 1958, he moved to Leipzig, where he attended the evening academy of the Academy of Fine Arts in Leipzig. His painting remained self-taught. Since 1964, Sylvester worked as a freelance artist in Leipzig and later became a member of the Association of Visual Artists of the GDR. Together with other Leipzig artists, he founded the Leipziger Grafikbörse in 1972. It was the first association of artists without jury and thus censorship in the GDR and is still active today. Sylvester took over the direction and became chairman. Study trips brought him to France, Italy, Dalmatia and Central Asia. In 1974, he was awarded the medal of the 5th International Graphic Art Biennale in Krakow. In 1987, he received the Art Prize of the City of Leipzig. Sylvester died in Leipzig in 2007.

Trak Wendisch was born in Berlin in 1958. From 1977 to 1982, he studied painting and graphic art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Leipzig under Dietrich Burger and Bernhard Heisig. After his studies, he worked as a freelance artist and in 1985 was further master student at the University of Fine Arts Dresden under Gerhard Kettner. This was followed by residencies and projects in Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico and Venezuela. Wendisch lives and works in Berlin.

Manfred Böttcher was born in Oberdorla, Thuringia, in 1933. From 1950 to 1955, he studied at the University of Fine Arts in Dresden under Wilhelm Lachnit and Heinz Lohmar, among others. He continued his education as a master student at the Academy of Arts in Berlin under Heinrich Ehmsen. He worked as an artist in Berlin from 1961 onwards. Böttcher died in Berlin in 2001.  

Stefan Reichmann was born in 1951 in Rübenau, Erzgebirge. In 1973, he moved to East Berlin and began studies at the University of the Arts in 1976. Since 1981, he has been working as a freelance sculptor in Berlin. From 1986 to 1988, he was a masterstudent at the Academy of Arts of the GDR under the guidance of Werner Stötzer. He lives and works in Berlin and Brandenburg.

Johannes Peschel was born on June 2nd 1931, in Kamenz. He began his training in his father’s stone masonry business and apprenticed with Werner Hempel in Dresden. From 1953 to 1958, he studied at the Dresden University of Fine Arts. Since 1959, he has worked as a freelance sculptor, creating works in stone that range from small sculptures to large objects.

Helmut Heinze was born in Mulda in 1932 and grew up in Dresden. In 1950 he began studying at the Dresden University of Fine Arts, which he interrupted to train as a stone sculptor. During this time he also worked on restoration projects. After receiving his diploma in 1957, he became a freelance artist in Radebeul. He received a teaching position at the Technical University of Dresden and became a lecturer in architecture in 1969. In 1979 he became professor of sculpture at the Dresden University of Fine Arts. After his retirement in 1997, he moved to Kreischa in 1998, where he continues to live and work.

Markus Schaller was born in Hof an der Saale, Germany, in 1967. At the age of 18, he moved to Berlin to become a writer. In the years 1987-88, he worked in the Tyslander Press print shop with Felix Martin Furtwängler, where he also discovered his interest in visual arts. Between 1988 and 1994, he studied under Rebecca Horn at the University of the Arts. He founded the first cooperative gallery in Berlin-Mitte in 1991. He was represented at the Venice Biennale in 1997 and the Sculpture Biennale in Vancouver in 2006. Schaller lives and works in Berlin.