Wilfried Falkenthal was born in 1942 in Baruth/Mark (Brandenburg). From 1962 to 1966, he studied art education and German language and literature at the University of Leipzig. He then continued his training at the Academy of Fine Arts in Leipzig until 1971, where he studied painting under Werner Tübke and Wolfgang Mattheuer, graduating with a diploma. Between 1971 and 1990, he was a member of the Association of Visual Artists of the GDR, and from 1985 to 1990 he also served as chairman of the Leipzig Artists’ Cooperative. Since 1971, he has been working as a freelance artist in Leipzig.