Fred Reichman (1925–2005) was a painter and educator whose intimate observations of nature and everyday life distinguished him from the prevailing Abstract Expressionism of postwar California. Born in Bellingham, Washington, he studied with Clyfford Still at the California School of Fine Arts before earning a B.A. and M.A. from UC Berkeley. A Taussig Traveling Fellowship enabled him to study in Europe, where encounters with Asian art helped shape his aesthetic. Influenced by Japanese painting, Zen philosophy and haiku poetry, Reichman developed compositions characterized by luminous colors, restrained forms and close attention to ordinary subjects. He taught at UC Berkeley, the San Francisco Art Institute and the University of California, Davis, where he participated in a faculty exhibition in 1964. His work was exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art and Walker Art Center. His paintings are held in collections including San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Oakland Museum of California and the Berkeley Art Museum.