Robert Muntean studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and at the Academy of Visual Arts in Leipzig.

The human figure is always at the center of Robert Muntean's paintings, yet his works are much more than figurative representations: they unfold in painterly rhythms and multi-layered structures reminiscent of musical compositions. Color, surface, and movement enter into a complex interplay that invites the viewer to slow down their perception. His painting deliberately eludes quick readability. At a time when images often rely on immediate impact, his work demands time, concentration, and close observation. In this way, he continues a tradition of painting in which the focus is not on what is depicted, but on the manner of depiction. The painterly gesture, the construction of the pictorial space, and the conscious play with perception and abstraction are central elements of his work.
 
His works have been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Europe, the USA, China, and Korea. His works can be found in renowned collections, including the Leopold Museum, the Siemens Collection, and the Collection of the Federal Ministry of Education in Vienna. Exhibition venues in recent years have included the Leopold Museum (Vienna), the Essl Museum (Klosterneuburg), the Croatian Pavilion at the 60th Biennale di Venezia, the Rosenfeld Gallery (London), and the Kunstraum Potsdam.