Iris Hauser (born 1956 in Cranbrook, British Columbia) is a figurative painter who has committed herself to the human form for more than four decades. Her paintings combine high realism with allegory and symbolism to achieve a self-conscious, contemporary take on surrealism. She works primarily with oil paints, in the tradition of the Old Masters. Her art education began with a year of study at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax (1975). After relocating to Saskatoon, she continued her studies in the department of Art and Art History at the University of Saskatchewan (1977 to 1979) followed by a year of independent study in Kassel, Germany (1980 to 1981). She currently resides in Saskatoon where she maintains an active studio practice in addition to her role as a mentor and instructor within the local arts community. Hauser has exhibited her works throughout the province and region for four decades and her paintings can be found in numerous private and public collections. Significant commissions include portraits of chancellors and presidents of the University of Regina, and chief justices of the Appellate Court of Saskatchewan. Recent paintings may be viewed at irishauser.ca.
