Artist Profile 020: Jim Houser

Jim Houser is a self-taught artist, musician, designer, and original member of the renowned artist collective Space1026 in Philadelphia. He is celebrated for his iconic patchwork paintings, color theory, stylized figures, and for challenging the definition of object versus painting.

Jim was born in 1973 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the city where he currently resides. Houser’s collages, paintings, and installations have been exhibited extensively in institutions such as the Laguna Art Museum and the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Art as well as galleries in Milan, Paris, Sydney, and São Paulo. His work is included in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Artist Shepard Fairey has stated, “I’ve known Jim Houser since the mid-90’s when he worked with me in Providence primarily cutting stickers by hand. At the time, his unique drawings began to evolve into complex compositions of characters and typography within a mosaic of color blocks. This approach to his work has only evolved to become more sophisticated and beautiful over the years. Jim’s pieces straddle several aesthetic zones harmoniously, allowing them to be playful, mesmerizing, and profound all at once. Because Jim’s pieces work as entire compositions, with so many compelling elements at different scales, they must be seen in person.”

jimhouser.com