Born in Vienna, Austria 1908, Professor resided in South Africa from 1939and is known as a painter of landscapes, portraits, figure, and religious themes and still life. He is particularly for his flowers and between 1958 and the mid 1960’s he painted a number of abstracts.

The professor studied at the Vienna Academy of Arts in Austria and taught in Pretoria upon his arrival. A number of his works have been reproduced by E. Schweickerdt in Pretoria.

Otto Klar participated in a number of group exhibitions throughout Europe and South Africa.

He also held several solo exhibitions in South Africa i.e.:

• 1952 Van Riebeck Tercentenary exhibition
  
• 1960 Quadrennial exhibition
  
• 1966 Republic Festival Exhibition

In 1962, Otto Klar was awarded honorary professorship from the President of Austria on the recommendation of the Vienna Academy of Arts and is presently represented at the An Bryant Gallery in East London, Durban Art Gallery, Pretoria Art Museum and The University of Witwatersrand.