A machinist by training, he lived in Ostava, Silesia. A medium and illustrator, he belonged to the Ostava Spiritist Brotherhood, the largest in Czechoslovakia in terms of both the number of members and the quality of their work.

He often signed his works "Solferino," the name of the spirit by whom he claimed to be guided.

Josef Kotzian is considered one of the most important figures in mediumistic art.