Biography
Born in Bhamdoun, Lebanon, in 1933 to a Swiss father and a Lebanese mother, Hafis Bertschinger grew up in his native country, as a adolescent he moved to Zurich with his family. His mixed origins and multilinguism led to the path of creation and extensive journeys around the world. Having studied plastic arts at the Slade School in London, and with his degree in history of art at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland).
Hafis developed works out of his travels which have been widely exhibited. Seizing the trends of our time, he transposes them into a personal language of simplicity, energy and action. Since 1970 he has his studio in Cormérod, Canton Fribourg.
Important dates
| 1958 | In Paris, he specializes in sculpture and works in the studio of the sculptor François Stahly |
| 1963 | He teaches drawing and sculpture at Arkansas Art School, Little Rock, Arkansas. And won the sculpture prize of the Delta-Show in 1964 |
| 1966–67 | Stay at the Cité des Arts in Paris |
| 1970 | Settles permanently in Cormérod (canton of Fribourg) where he has his studio |
| 1971 | Participates in the first Swiss archaeological expedition on the Euphrates as a draftsman |
| 1973 | Foundation of the Mara Gallery at the Rue d'Or in Friborg and became a member in 1974 of the SPSAS |
| 1977–78 | Two trips to Egypt: study and photography on Egyptian facade paintings on the theme «Images of pilgrimage to Mecca» |
| 1982 | Oregon Trail: Hafis traces the course of General Sutter 3000 km with his horse George |
| 1984 | Crossing the Atlas, 600 km on a donkey. He decorates ceramics among Berbers and Fes |
| 1985 | Tour of Helvetia, 1500 km with his horse Stefan following the border |
| 1987–90 | River trilogy: The Sarine, the Rhône and MAMIMI (Madison, Missouri and Mississippi) with Walter Tschopp |
| 1991 | Celtic travel: Hafis trip from Switzerland to Ireland |
| 1992 | Japan Dragon Trail, 2500 km by bike |
| 1995–96 | Travel by train from Cape Town to Nairobi |
| 1998 | New Zealand Expedition |
| 1999 | Aurora Borealis: trip to Alaska |
| 2004 | Journey with video artist Jacqueline Surchat in China, Samarkand, Taschkent, Beirut and Morocco |
| 2006-10 | Annual trips to Dubai and stay in Ras Al Khaima where he works at RAK-Ceramics |
| 2010–11 |
Stay in the studio «Jean Tinguely», City of Arts, Paris (Canton of Fribourg Scholarship, Switzerland) |
| 2012 | Trip to Mexico for his project on the Day of the Dead |
| 2013 | «Back to the roots» trip with his grandson in Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey |
| 2014 | Travels to New York with his granddaughter then Salt Lake City and Yellowstone Park to prepare the project in 2016 to make the Oregon Trail by air |
| 2014-15 | 4 trips to Accra, Ghana |
| 2017 | Death of his wife Mara on 28th September |
| 2018 | Visit of Thomas Jenatsch in Nicaragua for the «Firebelt»-project Trip to Morocco with visit of the studio in El Homr and terracotta-works in Infgane Presentation of Mano Khalil's film «Hafis & Mara» at the Solothurner Filmtage Oregon Trail: attempt of a second trip by bicycle |
| 2019 | Trip to Lebanon for his exhibition « Phoenician Alphabet » at La Maison D'art, Achrafieh, Beirut. In collaboration with Humantech HES-SO/Fribourg and Lebanese International University, "Bring Virtual Reality into Art" |
