Petr Pastrňák Exhibition

The exhibition titled UNTITLED presents a survey of Petr Pastrňák's work from the late 1990s to 2014. Visitors can see a diverse range of Pastrňák's creations, from abstraction to photorealism – from abstract roller paintings through forests and landscapes to hyperrealistic portraits. Pastrňák is a significant contemporary Czech painter, graphic artist, and visual artist whose work reflects an interest in spiritual and mythological motifs that typically do not appear directly in the subjects of his paintings, but rather as symbols and as a map of his personal journey. He strives to paint not merely external reality, but rather inner experiences and states. Eastern philosophy and Asian art have a strong influence on him, which is evident in the contemplative character of his paintings. Pastrňák has completely abandoned life in the hectic Central European civilization and spends almost all his time in southern India, beneath the sacred mountain Arunachala. He does return regularly to the Czech Republic, but completely avoids the art scene. Thus he occupies a unique position in contemporary Czech art as a solitary figure with such distinctive work that, even without personal presence and without any self-promotion, he remains a leading and sought-after artist. At the Ostrava art exhibition in the Gallery of the Capital City of Prague – Returning Survey (2024/25), he received, along with Daniel Balabán, the most space among all painters.