Richard Diebenkorn was an American painter known for his abstract expressionist and figurative paintings. He was born on April 22, 1922, in Portland, Oregon, USA, and grew up in San Francisco.
Diebenkorn studied at the University of New Mexico and the California School of Fine Arts before serving in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. After the war, he continued his studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where he became part of the Bay Area Figurative Movement.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Diebenkorn gained recognition for his abstract expressionist paintings, which were characterized by large areas of color and bold, gestural brushstrokes. He later shifted to a more figurative style, creating paintings of the California landscape and his studio interiors.
Diebenkorn's work has been exhibited in major galleries and museums around the world, including the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He received numerous awards throughout his career, including the National Medal of Arts in 1993. Diebenkorn died on March 30, 1993, in Berkeley, California, leaving behind a significant legacy in the world of American art.