Alfred Alexander Gockel was born in Lüdinghausen, Germany, in 1952. From his earliest days, he was fascinated by the magic of colors on paper. After he graduated from high school, Gockel commenced his studies at the Polytechnic Academy in Munster in 1973. His main emphasis was typography, graphic design, and advertising. Gockel graduated in 1977, and in the following years he was active as a freelance artist, designer, and lecturer of typography and graphic design at the Polytechnic Academy in Munster. In 1981 he stopped all additional activities and become a full-time artist.