Artist: Irène Zurkinden

This August, Hauser & Wirth Basel presents a solo exhibition dedicated to the work of Swiss artist Irène Zurkinden (1909 – 1987). Born in Basel, Zurkinden defied easy categorisation, developing a distinctive painterly language that drew on both Surrealism and Neo-Impressionism. Known for commissioned portraits of Basel society, the presentation highlights a more intimate body of work centered on portraits and self-portraits, offering a deeply personal perspective on Zurkinden's life and experiences. Spanning the early 1930s to the 1980s, the exhibition brings together paintings and works on paper that reveal the duality at the heart of the artist's career.

After enrolling at art school in Basel at the age of 16, Zurkinden moved to Paris in 1929 with her friend Meret Oppenheim. She would spend much of her life between Paris and Basel, absorbing the cultural currents of both cities. In 1942, she joined the Basel-based anti-fascist artists’ collective Gruppe 33. Despite her singular vision, her contribution to 20th-century art remains comparatively overlooked.