Overview
I make heroes on a supra-human scale because they are powerful heroes and gods. The people who lived for the gods died with them. I have respect for heroes and gods and in my work, and try to reflect on and give life to old heroes who transform into new forms. The fact they are often just cutouts or cramped bodies around the perimeter of the frame reinforces my belief that this gives them more emotions and depth, immortality, and fragility, or even coarseness and softness. – Vojtěch Kovařík

Iconography and mythology lie at the heart of Vojtěch Kovařík’s paintings,whose large, boldly colored compositions recall the weight of sculpture. TheCzech artists contorted Herculean figures appear trapped within the frame,their blue, green, and yellow flesh set against lush, vibrant botanicalbackgrounds, depicted in conflicting states of both physical andpsychological grace and restlessness.

Trained in ceramics and sculpture, Kovařík only later gravitated to paintingthrough a self-taught approach of mixing oil, acrylic, and spray paint tosuggest reliefs on a flat surface. Figures from Greek mythology, as well aspop culture references, appear across series that fully embrace figuration.   

His incorporation of Greek mythology into his practice stems from itssignificance in the European cultural and collective unconscious, butKovařík subverts its meaning by reconstructing its most prominentcharacters.   


One can
observe that Kovařík’s tone frequently shifts between violence and
absurdity. His exaggerated, flaunting masculine forms become caricaturesand objects of curiosity. Through this distortion, Kovařík challengesconventional notions of strength and power.   

 
Vojtěch Kovařík (b. 1993, Valašské Meziříčí, Czech Republic) lives and works in Brno.
 

Recent solo exhibitions include Inner World, Mendes Wood DM, São Paulo (2025); From Lines to Matter, Kampa Museum, Prague (2024); Under the weight of the worldPower Station, Dallas (2024) The Labours of HerculesMendes Wood DM, Brussels (2023); Dusk of the Gods, Mendes Wood DM, New York (2022); Destinies of Stone FacesGalerie Derouillon, Paris (2022); In the Thickets of Unexplored PlacesMendes Wood DM, São Paulo (2021); Mendes Wood DM at Villa Era, Vigliano Biellese (2020); Hidden GardenGalerie Derouillon, Paris (2020).Recent group exhibitions include Ars22: Living EncountersMuseum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki (2022) and Baltic Triennial 14: The Endless FrontierContemporary Art Centre, Vilnius (2021).

The artist’s work is present in museums and public collections worldwide, including National Gallery of Victoria, Victoria; Zuzeum Museum, Riga; X Museum, Beijing; ICA Miami, Miami; Blenheim Foundation, Oxfordshire; Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin; THE EKARD COLLECTION, the Netherlands; Bunker Artspace, West Palm Beach; Lafayette Collection, Paris.

Selected Artworks
Videos
  • Inside the studio: Vojtěch Kovařík

    Jul 12, 2023
    Watch
Exhibitions
Publications
News
Enquire

Sign up to our newsletter to receive the latest updates about Vojtěch Kovařík and the gallery

* denotes required fields

We will process the personal data you have supplied to communicate with you in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by clicking the link in our emails.