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H.R. Giger. Photo by de:Benutzer:Smalltown Boy.

Top 10 Amazing Facts about H.R. Giger

H.R. Giger was a Swiss Artist who was best known for his airbrushed images. His full name was Hans Rudolf Giger. He was born on 5^th February 1940 in Zurich, Switzerland, and died on 12^th May 2014 at the age of 74.

His father was Hans Richard Giger a pharmacist, who passionately encouraged him to venture into the pharmacy. His father viewed art as a breadless profession. His mother was Melly Giger-Meier and was raised alongside his elder sister called Iris Giger.

He began school in 1946 right from kindergarten. He graduated from high school in 1956 where he obtained a certificate in the drawing. Between 1962 to 1965 he went to the School of Applied Arts Zurich where he graduated from the Department of Interior and Industrial Design.

His work of art is still admired to date and is unmatched by upcoming artists.

Below are the top 10 amazing facts about H.R. Giger

1. At the Beginning of Career Viewers Spit on His Work

Giger art. Photo by Decryptys.

When Giger was growing up, he found passion in art since childhood. However, his family including his father who was a pharmacist urged him to get into the pharmacy to continue the family business.

He preferred art and was involved in drawings and designs. However, during his displays at the beginning of his career, the audience discriminated against him.

Some of his first gallery shows displayed quasi-sexual imagery. The audience was so appalled which made them spit on the gallery鈥檚 windows while they walked by.

2. H.R. Giger Made an Alien Film 10 years before Alien

Giger was involved in the production of the Swiss Made. He was invited to design the sets and costumes. The film 鈥淪wiss Made鈥� was released in 1969 ten years before the release of the film 鈥淎lien鈥�.

The film is about a humanoid alien who visited the earth. Giger claims to have used a real dog in the film and made clothes in polyester.

3. His Book 鈥淣ecronomicon鈥� Got him The Alien Job

Necronomicon_prop. Photo by Shubi.

Alien is a science fiction horror film that was directed by Ridley Scott in 1979. The film premiered on 25^th May 1979as the opening night of the fourth Seattle international film festival.  

Giger designed its accompanying artifacts. The director of the film spotted the fantastic design of creatures from his book and decided to give Giger the artwork of the movie.

Scott spotted the perfect design of the creature from the book which reviews the stages of the creature right from, the egg, A face-hugger, a chest-burster, and a full-grown adult.

4. Giger made The Alien from Toy Slime, Condoms, and Meat

Giger artwork. Photo by Ank Kumar.

Giger shared his craftsmanship in how he developed the alien in the film. He claimed that the eggs that were hatched were made from very special practical materials.

He used plastics and neon-green toy slime which were popular at the time. He also said that he used shredded latex contraceptives to make stretching tendons that were seen in the adult alien when it opened its maw to devour a victim.

He is also the big brain behind the creation of the Xenomorph in the 鈥淎lien鈥�.

5. He Remarried after a Divorce from His First Wife

 Giger was first involved with Swiss Actress Li Tobler. They were both in a good relationship until she died in 1975 by suicide. Her image still appears in many of his paintings.

After the death of Tobler, he married Mia Bonzanigo in 1979. However, the marriage did not last for long and divorced a year and a half later.

He later married Carmen Maria Scheifele Giger in 2006, whom they worked and lived with, in Zurich until he died in 2014. She is the director of the H.R. Museum.

6. He Rose to International Prominence for his Outstanding Artwork

H.R. Giger artwork of Xenomorph. Photo by Ank Kumar.

Giger had a phenomenon input in the artwork of several films and songs. His artwork frequently appeared in Omni magazine which played a major role in the rise of his prominence.

His painting books particularly the Necronomicon were a major piece of art that inspired a lot of people.

He was also part of the special effects team in the Alien film. The team won the Academy Award for best achievement in the visual effects of the film.

7. He Designed the H.R. Giger Museum

Giger Museum. Photo by Ank Kumar.

The H.R. Giger Museum contains the largest collection of his work. It is located in St-Germain castle, in the center of the Medieval town of Gruyeres in Switzerland.

The museum was officially opened on the 21^st of June 1998. It is open daily to the general public from 10:00 am 鈥� 8:30 pm.

He is responsible for designing the whole interior design of the museum. It contains his biggest collections which include film sets, paintings, sculptures, and furnishings.

The museum is such a fascinating world of imagination with images of fiction and reality, past and future. Entering the museum gives a feeling of an alien鈥檚 lair with its intentional dark and grim environment which is slightly disturbing.

His wife Carmen Maria Scheifele is the director of the phenomenon museum.

8. H.R. Giger lost Some of his Paintings

Giger claims to have lost some of his paintings that went missing during transportation. This happened when he relocated to settle into a modestly-budgeted castle in Gruyeres which later became the H.R. Giger Museum.

Some of the paintings were stolen in the resettlement while he worked hard to provide a home for all his work.

9. He was Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame

Giger was an outstanding artist whose work has been praised by generations. His input in the design industry gained him several awards and honors. On April 14^th, 1980, he was awarded for Best Achievement in Visual Effects along with the special effects team on the 鈥淎lien鈥�.

He also received the reputable award 鈥淟a Medaille de la Ville de 麻豆APP鈥� at 麻豆APP City Hall on 17^th December 2004.

In 2013 he was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame.

10. A Flesh Eating Plant was Named After Him

 Matthew Kaelin, a plant breeder renamed a fresh eating plant after H.R. Giger following his death in 2014. He named the carnivorous species 鈥淣epenthes H.R. Giger鈥� because of its peristome and spikes teeth.

H.R. Giger was a renowned artist and designer who gained popularity in his work on the Alien. His contribution to the art and design industry is unmatched over the years.