Berchtenbreiter, Irene Deloris Lewis
Item
Maker Name
Berchtenbreiter, Irene Deloris Lewis
Biography
Irene Berchentenbrieter was an intriguing artist who in the last years of her life lived in the woods in Mission, BC.
She was raised in Vancouver, a sculptor, and first trained in UCLA with John Mason and Jumbo Auciello. In Victoria , in 1932, she studied with Jack Shadbolt. She married an architect and moved to California in 1941. She moved back to Vancouver in 1967 . Her work was narrative, gestural, and expressively made. She would have had contact with the Funk movement in California, but more importantly with the expressionist movement during the 1950s when she worked and exhibited alongside Peter Voulkos and Paul Soldner in California, which is apparent in her expressivity of her fabrication and subjects.
In Canada Irene attended numerous and various ceramic workshops , with Joe Fafard, Harry Davis, David Thoresdahl and Kimpei Nakamura.
She was one of Hiro Urakami's favourite artists and exhibited at the House of Ceramics, Robson Media Centre, and the Mission art Gallery.
In 1980 Irene moved to Mission BC where she became a beloved citizen.
She was raised in Vancouver, a sculptor, and first trained in UCLA with John Mason and Jumbo Auciello. In Victoria , in 1932, she studied with Jack Shadbolt. She married an architect and moved to California in 1941. She moved back to Vancouver in 1967 . Her work was narrative, gestural, and expressively made. She would have had contact with the Funk movement in California, but more importantly with the expressionist movement during the 1950s when she worked and exhibited alongside Peter Voulkos and Paul Soldner in California, which is apparent in her expressivity of her fabrication and subjects.
In Canada Irene attended numerous and various ceramic workshops , with Joe Fafard, Harry Davis, David Thoresdahl and Kimpei Nakamura.
She was one of Hiro Urakami's favourite artists and exhibited at the House of Ceramics, Robson Media Centre, and the Mission art Gallery.
In 1980 Irene moved to Mission BC where she became a beloved citizen.
First name
Irene Deloris (nee Lewis)
Last name
Berchtenbreiter
Career dates (start and end)
1968
Date of Birth
1914
Date of Death
2006
Place of Birth
Vancouver, BC
Place of Death
Studio location
Formal Education
Major Exhibitions
1976 Resident Artists, Surrey art Gallery (with James Felter, Lance Olsen and David Toresdahl)
Links to Further Resources
2006 http://www.geocities.ws/claimtoframe/berchtenbreiter.html
https://missionarchives.com/documents/pandp-bios/2004-Irene-Berchtenbreiter.pdf
https://www.surrey.ca/arts-culture/surrey-art-gallery/exhibitions/resident-artists-exhibition
Source
Debra Sloan