Hans Uder spent his childhood in the outskirts of Heidelberg, Germany, a picturesque Baroque-style city located in the southwestern part of the country. Born into a family of engineers, Uder discovered his passion for art at an early age, and upon finishing his college studies immigrated to the United States to explore the art world.
In Los Angeles, California, Uder studied at the prestigious Stella Adler Academy of Acting and Theatre where he mastered his craft for two years. It was during this time, as a means to support his acting, that he wandered into the visual world of set design.
In the beginning of his career, he had the honor of being a production assistant and set designer on photography shoots for print publications such as Vanity Fair, Vogue, Esquire, FHM and Cosmopolitan. He was able to collaborate with iconic photographers including Mark Seliger, Robert Maxwell and Chris McLaren, just to name a few. Additionally, Uder collaborated alongside Mauro Borrelli, the acclaimed conceptual designer of “Batman Forever”, “Dracula” and “Planet of the Apes”. Uder also owes immense gratitude to his mentor, the late Academy Award-nominated costume designer, Theadora Van Runkle, most known for her work on iconic films including “Bonnie and Clyde”, “The Godfather: Part 2”, “New York, New York” and “The Thomas Crown Affair”.
During his time in acting and set design, Uder began to develop his own creative practice through the mediums of painting and mixed media sculpture. In 2002 he began to shift his focus towards his creative practice, allowing his artwork to evolve and flourish in the last 18 years. He currently resides between Los Angeles and New York City.