“I am like a fascinated pilgrim, and painting is the best way to show what the world of my pilgrimage looks like.”
Jiří Hauschka, born in Šumperk, 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.
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.
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.
Hauschka has exhibited widely, including at prestigious venues such as NordArt in Germany and the Giudecca Art District in Venice. His work has also been presented in numerous solo exhibitions across Europe, such as the Valentiny Foundation in Luxembourg and CRAG Gallery in Italy. In addition to his gallery shows, his paintings are featured in publications that highlight his contribution to modern painting and the Stuckist movement.