Werner Drewes (1899-1985)
An important American modern painter and printmaker, Werner Drewes was born in Niederlausitz, Germany on July 27, 1899 and first came to California in 1926. He was highly influenced by the printmaking tradition of the German Expressionists, and continued his craftsmanship at the Bauhaus. He became close friends with Kandinsky, Klee, Moholy-Nagy, and Oskar Schlemmer.
Drewes moved to New York in 1930, met Katherine Drier, and became involved with the Societe Anonyme. He was also a founding member of the American Abstract Artists in 1937. Drewes taught at Columbia University, Washington University, and the Institute of Design (with his friend, Moholy-Nagy). He continued working until the day he died in Reston, Virginia.