Hans Erni

Mother and child

Hans Erni attended the Kunstgewerbeschule in Lucerne in 1927–28, which was followed by further stays in Paris and Berlin. In 1933–34, he joined the artist's group Abstraction-Création in Paris, where he also met artists like Hans Arp, Alexander Calder and Wassily Kandinsky. In the 1930–40s, Erni was very successful with fresco painting, a medium the artist deeply preferred because of its impact on society. In 1950, he created his first ceramic works and discovered lithography as another central technique of his future artistic output. In 1972, Erni set up his studio in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, but he continued to be active in Lucerne, where he was born and obtained personal museum spaces. He was awarded numerous prizes, including the UN Peace Medal Award. His works have been internationally exhibited, including shows in Chicago, New Delhi, Funabashi and Milan. Erni’s artistic output comprises, for instance, around 300 posters, numerous frescoes, around 200 illustrations for books, drawings and various designs for approximately 90 stamps.