About the artist:

Born in Prenzlau, Germany in 1915, Hans Unger was one of the UK’s most important post-war graphic designers. Unger developed a recognisable style using bold, joyful colour and often incorporating humour.

Unger studied poster design in Berlin but left for South Africa in 1936, having realised that his Jewish heritage made life dangerous in Nazi Germany. He was one of a generation of émigré designers to flee Nazi German influence and ultimately settle in the UK.

Unger joined the South African Army in the Second World War, being taken prisoner in 1942 at Tobruk in Libya. He was held at a prisoner of war camp in northern Italy, from where he dramatically escaped across the Pyrenees to Spain and then Portugal, losing several toes to frostbite. Unger was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in 1944.

In peacetime, Unger reignited his graphic design career. In 1948, he moved to London and became a British citizen. Unger’s design career flourished, with clients including London Transport (LT) and the General Post Office, among others. He began undertaking poster commissions from LT soon after settling permanently in the UK, designing numerous posters for them in 1950 and 1951.

In 1960, Unger set up a studio with fellow German-born artist Eberhard Schulze to produce mosaics and stained glass windows. Unger learnt about these techniques when travelling in Italy in 1959, having used small elements of mosaic in earlier work. Unger and Schulze often fused stained glass and ceramic and experimented with new materials and processes. As well as using these techniques for posters, they also completed mosaic murals for corporate and public buildings and stained glass windows for many churches.

At the same time as working with Schulze, Unger continued to complete many poster commissions on his own. As with his mosaic work, Unger was keen to incorporate interesting coloured textures in his posters, creating a striking impact.

Unger continued a successful career until his death in 1975, at the age of 59.

Biography courtesy of London Transit Museum.