Walter Robert Loosli (29 July 1932 – 29 November 2015) was a

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

sculptor,

woodcut Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas that ...

engraver and maker of painted

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

panels and windows. Loosli was born in La Chaux-d'Abel, a part of

Sonvilier Sonvilier is a municipality in the Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located in the French-speaking Bernese Jura (''Jura Bernois''). History Sonvilier is first mentioned in 1298 as ''Sunuilier'' ...

in the

canton of Bern The canton of Bern or Berne (german: Kanton Bern; rm, Chantun Berna; french: canton de Berne; it, Canton Berna) is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. Its capital city, Bern, is also the ''de facto'' capital of Switzerland. ...

, Switzerland. He trained first as a primary school teacher and therapist in

Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...

, but went on to further training in the School of Art (''Kunstgewerbeschule'') in Bern. He learned drawing with Hans Schwarzenbach and

Max von Mühlenen Max von Mühlenen (1903–1971) was a Switzerland, Swiss Painting, painter and educator. Artist Claude Sandoz was one of his pupils. Sources

* ''Max von Mühlenen 1903–1971. Retrospektive des malerischen Werkes. Kunsthalle Bern, 3. Mai–9 ...

. He also studied sculpture with Salvatore Meli in Rome. Since 1972 Loosli has worked as an independent artist. His principal activity is the fitting-out and decoration of rooms, particularly churches. Loosli has lived since 1954 in the village of

Köniz Köniz (, ) is a statistical town, however considers itself still as a village, and a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district right on the southern border to Bern in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The municipality of Kön ...

, where he also has a gallery.

Exhibitions

*1991 Galerie Heubühne Oberdiessbach: sculptures and woodcuts *1992 Könizer Galerie: murals and stained or painted glass windows *1995 Postmuseum Prag: graphics and drawings *2001 Könizer Galerie: new glass *2005 Kirchgemeindehaus Johannes Bern: glass, woodcuts, sculptures *2006 Eglise du Pasquart Bienne: stained or painted glass windows

Selected works

*1973 District Prison, Bern: ceramic wall decoration in the foyer (233 x 287 cm) *1991/92 Catholic Church,

Interlaken , neighboring_municipalities= Bönigen, Därligen, Matten bei Interlaken, Ringgenberg, Unterseen , twintowns = Scottsdale (USA), Ōtsu (Japan), Třeboň (Czech Republic) Interlaken (; lit.: ''between lakes'') is a Swiss town and mun ...

: ''Feuer und Wasser, Himmel und Erde'' (Fire and water, Heaven and Earth) – two windows in the nave (700 x 360 cm each); ''Himmlisches Jerusalem und Weltenrad'' (Heavenly Jerusalem and World Wheel) – two clerestory windows (390 x 105 and 390 x 420 cm); ''Pfingstwunder'' (Whitsun Miracle) – group of windows over the main entrance (150 x 180 cm) and two flanking windows (154 x 61 cm each); ''Maria im Strahlenkranz'' (Mary in Radiance) and ''Drei Lilien'' (Three Lilies) – four windows in the side chapel (152 x 61 cm each) *1997/99

Rüegsau Rüegsau is a municipality in the administrative district of Emmental in the Swiss canton of Bern. History Rüegsau is first mentioned in 1139 as ''Ruxow''. In 1229 it was mentioned as ''Ruchisowe''. The name comes from ''ruggere aue'', in ...

Church: ''Karfreitag, Ostern, Pfingsten'' (Good Friday, Easter, Whitsun) – three windows in the choir (middle window 360 x 120 cm; two side windows 175 x 108 cm each); ''Die sieben Schöpfungstage'' (The Seven Days of Creation) – seven windows in the nave (87 x 108 cm each) *2004 "Talita kum – Mädchen steh auf!" (Talitha kum – girl, arise!) woodcuts by Walter Loosli, texts by Klara Butting and Gerard Minnaard (Verlag Erev-Rav) *1999/2011 stained glass windows in

Kappelen Kappelen (french: Chapelle) is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. History Kappelen is first mentioned in 1228 as ''Capella''. The Roman road between Aventicum and Petinesca ran along t ...

Church

Literature

* Walter Loosli, Stefan Trümpler, Heinz Zwahlen, Fred Zaugg: ''Glasfenster und Wandgestaltung''. Stämpfli Verlag: Bern

References

External links

*
Loosli's Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loosli, Walter 1932 births 2015 deaths Swiss artists People from the canton of Bern Swiss stained glass artists and manufacturers