The Artistic Journey of Peter Krausz
Born in Brașov, Romania, Peter Krausz is a Romanian-born Canadian artist who works across various mediums, including painting, drawing, installation, and photography. His artistic foundation began with studies in drawing, painting, and mural techniques at the Nicolae Grigorescu Fine Arts Institute in Bucharest. Following a flight from Communist Romania through Czechoslovakia and Austria into Italy, Krausz eventually emigrated to Montreal, Canada, in 1970. His career has been marked by significant academic and curatorial roles, having served as a curator at the Saidye Bronfman Centre Art Gallery and as a professor at both Concordia University and the Université de Montréal.
Krausz's body of work is noted for its exploration of diverse subjects and technical experimentation. His early work often addressed political iconography, including the Berlin Series and the (No) Man's Land series. He has utilized a wide array of materials, such as oil and tar, iron-oxide pigment on wet clay, and oil on oxidized copper. A signature of his later practice is a unique secco technique, which involves using a dry surface primed with marble powder and acrylic gels, often employing pigments suspended in an egg-based emulsion.
Exhibitions and Collections
Throughout his career, Krausz has exhibited in museums and galleries across Canada, the United States, and Europe. His notable works and series include:
His art is held in numerous prestigious permanent collections, including the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Jewish Museum in Manhattan, and the Canada Council for the Arts Art Bank. In 2011, he was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.
