JIRI GEORGE KAYSER - Artist
1918 - 2016
Jiri (George) Kayser was born in Pisek, Czech Republic, on November 16, 1918. His lineage has always been associated with art scholars and exemplary artists starting with Thomas de Keyser (1596-1667) in Amsterdam. He passed on in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada on March 2, 2016
George was educated at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts and Charles University. Later, he became a Professor of Fine Arts, as well as member of various artistic advisory committees to architects and city planners. He participated in numerous national and international exhibits in Czechoslovakia, Austria, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand. After fleeing with his family to Canada in order to escape the political turmoil in 1968, he taught art at Ecole de Beaux Arts in Quebec City and elsewhere and exhibited throughout eastern Canada and USA. In 1977, he became a graphic artist and artist-in-residence for IATA (International Air Transport Association) in Montreal. In 1989, he retired to a quiet life of an artist in Cambridge, Ontario.
His extensive work during his years in Canada has ranged from electrifying landscapes and urban scenes, nudes and still lives to detailed etchings that clearly reflect his classical heritage. He was awarded the Czech Republic's 50th Anniversary Prize for Modern Painting in 1995. His work can be found in numerous permanent exhibitions including Albertina Museum (Vienna, Austria), Czech National Gallery (Prague), IATA Administrative Offices in Montreal and Geneva, and private collections on five continents.