Hailing from Vienna, Austria, Xenia Hausner (born in 1951) has gained global recognition for her exceptional craftsmanship as an artist. Her trademark iconography features large-scale portraits, often depicting women, brimming with enigmatic complexity, fueled by her expressive use of dynamic and vibrant hues. Central to Hausner’s work are the concepts of humanity and the human condition, which she beautifully captures through the masterful interplay of radical colors and gestural brushstrokes. Her subjects are presented in a light that reflects their underlying vulnerability, loneliness, longing, and love. Drawing inspiration from her extensive travels, Hausner weaves in mental recollections and physical elements she has gathered during her journeys, and embellishes her pieces with photographs taken on her trips.
A graduate of the Vienna Painting Academy and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Hausner’s entrance into the world of art was through her role as a set designer, starting her career at the Vienna Burgtheater in 1976. Over the span of 15 years, she lent her artistic vision to more than one hundred theater, opera, and film productions, including those at prestigious venues such as the Schiller Theater in Berlin, the Thalia Theater in Hamburg, and the Vienna State Opera. Her talent also graced major cultural events such as the Salzburg Festival, Covent Garden Opera in London, and the Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels.
In 1992, Hausner relocated to Berlin, where she fully immersed herself in painting. She made a spectacular debut at the Martin Gropiusbau in Berlin with her exhibition “Die Kraft der Bilder” (The Craft of the Artist) in 1996, which was followed by solo shows in Salzburg and Vienna. That same year, Galerie Thomas in Munich featured her work in the exhibit “Menschenbilder.” Her pieces also caught the attention of a global audience at Art Cologne, thanks to a showcase by Galerie Thomas. In 1997, her work was highlighted at one-person exhibitions titled “Liebesfragmente” at the Museum Quarter Kunsthalle in Vienna and the Ludwig Museum in Leipzig.
www.ftn-books.com has one title on Hausner now available.
