This August, Hauser & Wirth Basel will present a solo exhibition dedicated to Swiss artist Irène Zurkinden, bringing together paintings and works on paper spanning five decades of her career. Running from 27 August to 28 November, the exhibition focuses on the artist’s portraits and self-portraits, tracing the deeply personal practice that unfolded alongside her better-known commissioned portraits of Basel society.
Born in Basel, Zurkinden developed a distinctive visual language shaped by both Surrealism and Neo-Impressionism. After enrolling at art school at just 16, she moved to Paris in 1929 with fellow artist Meret Oppenheim, spending much of her life between the French capital and her hometown. The exhibition highlights this duality, presenting intimate works created between the early 1930s and the 1980s that reflect her personal experiences and artistic evolution.
Despite joining the anti-fascist artists’ collective Gruppe 33 in 1942 and forging a singular artistic vision, Zurkinden’s contribution to twentieth-century art has remained under-recognised. Hauser & Wirth’s forthcoming exhibition offers an opportunity to reintroduce her work to contemporary audiences.
