Born 1951 in Dornbirn, Austria. After an apprenticeship in his fathers “Tischlerei” (cabinet maker's workshop), he went on to study graphic design first at “Graphische Bundes- Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt” and then at “Hochschule für angewandte Kunst” in Vienna. 1977/78 he continued his education at the Department of Art at the University of California, Los Angeles. After travelling to Japan and working at Takenobu Igarashi Design Studio in Tokyo, he established Harry Metzler Artdesign in 1979 in Vienna. In 1985, Harry Metzler moved his design studio to his home town Schwarzenberg Vorarlberg, Austria.
Harry Metzler's work covers a wide range of graphic design from corporate identity for KUB, (Kunsthaus Bregenz), and “Bregenzerwald Tourismus”, to environmental and signage design for the opera house in Bregenz. He is initiator and adviser of “Handwerk+Form”, an activity to develop cooperation among craftsmen and designers/architects. Together with Naoko Nakayama he planned and organized Vision Plus 2007 Schwarzenberg, an international design symposium on information design, and curated several design exhibitions such as “Plakate aus Japan” for the Museum moderner Kunst in Vienna. Since 1985 he has been producing his art calendar every year.
For his book design he was awarded three times “Die schönsten Bücher Österreichs” prize and in 2005 received the national book design award “Österreichischer Staatspreis für Buchgestaltung”.
His work has been published in various magazines and books by Graphic-sha, Graphis, Kodansha, Interecho Press, P.I.E. Books, PBC International, Inc., Robundo Publishing and
Werd Verlag.