Iris Hauser (born 1956) is a Canadian artist and painter. She is best known for her use of narrative and symbolism within portrait paintings and works primarily with oil paints. She currently resides in

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

Early life and education

Hauser was born in 1956 in

Cranbrook, British Columbia Cranbrook ( ) is a city in southeast British Columbia, Canada, located approximately 10 km southwest of the confluence of the Kootenay River and the St. Mary River (British Columbia), St. Mary's River. It is the largest urban centre in the region ...

. She studied in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

in from 1973 to 1974 before attending the

Nova Scotia College of Art and Design NSCAD University, also known as the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD), is a public university, public art school, art university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university is a co-educational institution tha ...

in Halifax where she graduating in 1975. She continued her studies in the department of Art and Art History at the

University of Saskatchewan The University of Saskatchewan (U of S, or USask) is a Universities in Canada, Canadian public university, public research university, founded on March 19, 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatch ...

from 1977 to 1979. Hauser then spent a year studying independently in

Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in North Hesse, northern Hesse, in Central Germany (geography), central Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel (region), Kassel and the d ...

Germany from 1980 to 1981.

Career

Hauser has taught art at the

Mendel Art Gallery The Mendel Art Gallery was a major creative cultural centre in City Park, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Operating from 1964 to 2015, it housed a permanent collection of more than 7,500 works of art. The gallery was managed by the city-owned Saskatoon ...

in Saskatoon and at the University of Saskatchewan's Certificate of Art and Design program. She has served on the board of CARFAC (Canadian Artists Representation/Front des Artistes Canadiens) Saskatchewan and served as a juror for the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils. Hauser's work is held in several collections including at the Mendel Art Gallery, Kenderdine Art Gallery,

Saskatchewan Arts Board The Saskatchewan Arts Board is an arms-length funding agency that provides support to artists, arts organizations and communities. Established in 1948, it was the first agency of its kind in Canada, predating the Canada Council for the Arts by ...

, the Canada Council Art Bank in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, and the Stall Gallery in Saskatoon, The Mann Gallery in

Prince Albert Prince Albert most commonly refers to: *Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819–1861), consort of Queen Victoria *Albert II, Prince of Monaco (born 1958), present head of state of Monaco Prince Albert may also refer to: Royalty * Alb ...

and The Art Gallery of Regina as well as on many Canadian book covers.

Work

Hauser showed an early interest in fine art, often mentioning an especially vivid dream she had as a toddler and her immediate attempt to recreate it in crayon. She incorporates symbolic and iconic imagery. She works primarily with oil paint. Hauser often reuses her models for multiple works. One of her series ''Dancing with Hell Hounds'' compassionately depicts her bi-polar brother as various characters on his journey of healing.

Exhibitions

* ''Crone Ascendant'', July 26 - September 27, 2024, Weyburn Art Gallery, Weyburn, SK * ''Iris Hauser: Grounded in the Body'', September 17 - October 8, 2022, Art Placement, Saskatoon, SK * ''Duet: A Partnership in Life and Work,'' September 3-November 12, 2022, Saskatoon Craft Council, Saskatoon, SK * ''Small Quirks'', May 28, 2022 - August 27, Saskatchewan Craft Council, Saskatoon, SK * ''Figureground,'' June–August 2018, group exhibition, The Gallery/Art Placement Inc., Saskatoon, SK * ''Narratives,'' Spring 2018, Collaborative Exhibition with Cate Francis,The Mann Gallery, Prince Albert, SK * Exhibition, December 2017-February 2018, Godfry Dean Art Gallery, Yorkton, SK * Exhibition, November 2015-January 2016, The Mann Gallery, Prince Albert, SK * ''Dress Codes,'' September–October 2015, The Art Gallery of Regina, Regina, SK * ''The Evolution of the Imagination,'' August 2013, Station Art Center,

Rosthern Rosthern is a town at the juncture of Highway 11 and Highway 312 in central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is roughly halfway between the cities of Prince Albert and Saskatoon. History Mennonite settlers, led by Gerhard Ens, began arriving in ...

, SK. * ''Altered States,'' June–September 2013, Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, SK * ''Only Human'', 2010–2011, Estevan Art Gallery,

Estevan Estevan is the eleventh-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is approximately north of the Canada–United States border. The Souris River runs by the city. This city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Estevan No. 5. History The ...

, SK, and The Chapel Gallery,

North Battleford North Battleford is a city in west-central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is the seventh largest city in the province and is directly across the North Saskatchewan River from the town of Battleford. Together, the two communities are known as "The B ...

, SK * ''The Stall Gallery Presents Iris Hauser,'' 2010, The Stall Gallery, Saskatoon, SK * ''A Delicate Balance,'' 2010, Collaborative exhibition with Ruth Sulatisky, Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, SK

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hauser, Iris 1956 births Artists from Saskatoon 20th-century Canadian painters Living people People from Cranbrook, British Columbia 21st-century Canadian painters Artists from British Columbia University of Saskatchewan alumni Academic staff of the University of Saskatchewan Canadian portrait painters 20th-century Canadian women painters 21st-century Canadian women painters