Rex Hausmann

ARTIST BIO & STATEMENT

Rex Hausmann is a San Antonio–based painter whose vibrant, autobiographical work explores the intersections of place, memory, and everyday beauty. Painting en plein air across Europe, rural Texas, and New York’s Central Park, he captures fleeting moments through expressive gestures and spontaneous mark-making. His art blurs the lines between conversation and composition, aiming to connect with people on a human level—beyond the boundaries of the art world.

For Hausmann, painting is a form of problem-solving—a way to engage with the mysteries of daily life. His process is physical and intuitive, often using uncontrolled gestures like dripping, spilling, and free-flowing lines that extend beyond the canvas. These dynamic marks activate the surface, creating a visual conversation akin to a heartfelt exchange between friends perched on a fire escape. His paintings become living journals, documenting his journey, thoughts, and encounters as they evolve.

Born and raised in San Antonio, Hausmann began his art education at the University of Texas at San Antonio before earning both his BFA (2006) and MFA (2016) in painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design, supported by scholarship. His guiding philosophy—“Grow Where You Are Planted”—is prominently displayed behind Phebe, the bougainvillea, at his family’s creative hub, The Hausmann Millworks: A Creative Community, in downtown San Antonio.

Hausmann has exhibited and spoken widely, both nationally and internationally. His work has been shown at institutions including The Smithsonian in Washington D.C., the McNay Art Museum, the San Antonio Museum of Art, the Spencer Museum of Art, the Institute of Texan Cultures, Neiman Marcus, and The Cloister at Sea Island Resort. He has delivered talks at TEDx San Antonio, Trinity University, and numerous other cultural venues, continuing to share his belief that art is a lived experience—meant to be shared, seen, and felt.

Rex Hausmann has been searching for colors en plein air to uncover the evanescent moments in time found in the environments he paints in. His excursions have led him all around Europe to rural areas of Texas and New York’s Central park. For the artist, the discovery of colors, history and messages reflected from nature boldly displays the beauty and joys in life.

Hausmann approaches painting as a form of problem-solving, using spontaneous gestures—drips, spills, and trailing lines—to mirror the unpredictable flow of life. Working en plein air with his grandfather’s easel, he documents everyday moments like entries in a visual diary. His ongoing Hunting Blind Series (2014–present) maps years of travel, friendship, and memory, capturing time through color, conversation, and the deeply personal act of returning to familiar places and stories.