Hans Fischer

Hans Fischer
Johan "Hans" Fischer, award winning artist and longtime Ridgefield resident, died December 22, 2019 after a brief illness. Hans was the husband of Francine Prino Fischer and was 77 years old.
Described by friends and family as a "gentle shining light," Hans loved nature and spent hours outdoors working in his yard, often creating rock sculptures. He was an avid golfer with a low handicap and loved the Ridgefield Golf Course, where he walked the course whenever it was open. His true passion, however, was his art and he liked the idea of "visually stimulating curiosity"—to encourage people to want "to get close, touch the surfaces and connect with his work in an almost physical way." His paintings were based on memories of places he loved and he kept a huge visual archive in his head, rarely using photographs as reference.
When asked about his art, Hans would say, "I try to use powerful brushwork and bold color relationships to create complex organic textures." His paintings, which are mixed medium abstracts combining oil and acrylic in unconventional form, are light, colorful and textured. This unique approach earned Hans numerous awards including the American Art and Print Institute Award, the New York Art Directors Award, "Best In Show" 2011 from the Ridgefield Guild of artists, and most recently the Betty Barker Award for Best in Show for his painting "Each one a Story".
Born in The Hauge, Holland to Catharina and Johan Fischer on February 6, 1942, Hans immigrated with his family at the age of four to Harrison, New York. After high school, he attended Akademie voor Kunst in Eindhoven, Holland. He earned a BS in industrial design from the University of Bridgeport and also studied at Silvermine Guild of Artists. After college his career as a "starving artist" was put on hold when he served in the National Guard during the sixties. He met Francine when he worked at Perkin Elmer in Wilton. The couple moved to Ridgefield where Hans designed their house—a contemporary with lots of glass to take in the outdoors he loved so much.
In 1989, Hans established his own graphic design company and worked with companies including Saab—the car he always drove. Over the past decade, he transitioned into a full-time artist and his work is shown in galleries and private collections in the United States and abroad.
Hans is survived by his wife of 47 years, Francine, his son Joshua Fischer; his daughter and son-in-law Jessica and Sven Grasshoff and grandchildren Olivia and Wesley Grasshoff; his brothers Richard and Robert Fischer and their families; his brother-in-law Thomas Prino and his family, and numerous other close family members. At his request, the family will not hold formal services. Contributions in his memory can be made to: Land Conservancy of Ridgefield, P.O. Box 32, Ridgefield, CT 06877, or Weir Farm Art Center, 735 Nod Hill Rd, Wilton, CT 06897