Jiri Hauschka

Jiri Hauschka (1965, Czech Republic) lives and works in Prague.

Jiri Hauschka, born in Sumperk, Czechia in 1965, is an acclaimed painter whose work balances abstraction and magic realism. Hauschka lives and works in Prague. His paintings, featured in significant collections like the National Gallery in Prague and numerous private collections worldwide, explore the relationship between nature, humanity, and urban spaces through a unique visual language. His work lies at the intersection of abstraction and figuration, balancing the complexity of both languages in a distinctive style.

Initially known for his abstract approach, Jiří Hauschka’s artistic development shifted during his stay in the United Kingdom in 2005, where he met Charles Thomson, the founder of Stuckism. This period prompted him to refine his work with detailed black line drawings reminiscent of pencil sketches. Upon returning to Prague, his style evolved toward a more realist conception, merging abstraction with elements of magical realism.

Hauschka’s connection to painting began in his youth, inspired by a fascination with the Surrealists and the narrative power of visual art. However, it wasn’t until the age of 38 that he fully committed to his artistic journey. A turning point came during his 2005 stay in the UK, where he met Charles Thomson, co-founder of the Stuckists. This encounter influenced Hauschka’s shift from strict abstraction to a more narrative style, marked by bold contour lines and layered compositions. Reflecting on his process, Hauschka notes, “I am like a fascinated pilgrim, and painting is the best way to show what the world of my pilgrimage looks like.”

“I am like a fascinated pilgrim and painting is the best way, how to show, what the world of my pilgrimage looks like.“

Hauschka’s work is defined by his dynamic use of fluid forms, symbolic colours, and contrasting textures. His paintings often depict mystical natural landscapes—forests, mists, and rural atmospheres—juxtaposed with urban environments imbued with layered histories. “Reality is transformed by the painter’s narration into layered storytelling, where the artist’s memory intersperses with new experiences, desires, and emotional turbulences,” writes Martin Dostál.

His art delves into the symbiosis between humanity and the natural world, reflecting a fascination with spaces that carry both history and personal narratives. Frequently incorporating human figures, Hauschka creates compositions that feel both intimate and universal. Inspired by the Canadian painter Tom Thomson and early 20th-century colour symbolism, Hauschka’s works evoke a timeless quality while remaining deeply contemporary.

Jiri Hauschka is one of the most interesting artists to have emerged in the Czech Republic during the quarter of century that has followed the fall of the Communist regime that had governed the country, then still United with its neighbouring territory, Slovakia, since the end of World War II. His originality can be traced to a number of sources. (Edward Lucie-Smith)

We are proud to communicate that Jiri Hauschka has been included in the publication by Tames and Husdon

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