Ernst Friedrich was born in 1951 in Utsjoki, a sub-municipality of Kevo in Lapland, Finland - or in Hall i. T., depending on the source. From 1967 to 1973, Friedrich worked in Tyrol as a carpenter. He was then accepted at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna under Professor Weiler. In 1976, he received the Füger Prize from the Academy of Vienna. Furthermore, he received, among others, the Förderungspreis of the City of Vienna in 1986 and the Golden Medal of Honor of the Künstlerhaus Wien in 1989. Friedrich has exhibited regularly at home and abroad since 1978. His works have been shown at the Stadler Gallery in Paris, the Künstlerhaus in Vienna and the Didrichsen Art Museum in Helsinki. Ernst Friedrich became known for his graphic works using calligraphic elements. He paints sheet music, city maps, tickets and exercise books and incorporates references to different places and lifestyles, such as Finland, East Asia or Friedrich's main location Vienna.