Artist
From Vrbno pod Pradědem, Czechia
Based in Posázaví
Lenka's works showcase magical still lives of Czech mountains, primarily Jeseník where she is from. She makes use of multiple techniques in her work, from drawing and graphic to etching
A: Please, tell us a bit more about yourself. What brought you to art?
L: I come from the melancholic landscape in the heart of the Jeseníky Mountains where I like to return to visit my favorite places. My grandfather was a gamekeeper so I’ve felt connected to nature from the moment I was born. Even as a small child I could spend entire days drawing. Hours would go by and I’d lose all track of time. Back then what I was doing probably couldn’t be called art yet. When you’re 6, you don’t really think about the career of an artist. You’re simply doing what you truly enjoy, purely and playfully. Some of that childhood perspective has stuck with me to this day…
A: What inspires you the most?
L: My long-time source of inspiration is nature, whom humans can’t regulate nor overpower. We can, however, observe it quietly, and that’s the foundation of my work which focuses on contemplation, shifting attention on the inner world.
The human brain is complex like intertwined branches of a tree. A painting is not only what I see around myself. It hides microscopic details - the key to understand the whole. There is no limit to what you can see in details if you keep your mind open and observe diligently. The woods untouched by human feet, a mysterious thicket where you can meet yourself and find the limits of your spirit.
A: Do you have any specific rituals while working (creating)?
L: I go on walks early in the morning and watch nature wake up. I observe light, how it touches tree branches, playing with them and transforming the space… I often meet deer and fallow-deer. They’re unbelievably punctual - every day at exactly the same time they walk the same track…
A: What would you recommend to someone new to art (an artist or just an admirer), what to begin with?
L: Nurture persistence and patience. Nothing happens overnight. Everything is a result of many years of experience. You should only make things you have closely experienced yourself. That’s the only way for a work of art to be true and effective.
A: Your top 3 phrases/words related to art?
L: I don’t know if you can say phrases. I believe art is an expression of the soul. It’s unpredictable and always personal.
A: Do you have favorite Czech artists?
L: At the moment, I find Kristýna Šormová’s canvases to deeply affect me. She can capture natural elements so dramatically, absorb the observer into the painting through the dynamism. It’s as I’ve found myself in a storm of elements…
A: What piece of art do you think embodies the Czech national spirit and culture? Why?
L: My focus is primarily on the landscape. That is why the work of Josef Váchal is essential to me as he managed to perfectly capture the phantoms of Šumava. Her life, the spirit of the place. The landscape you can dive into, get lost in, and find yourself. As if I discovered a place between worlds, where one thing transforms into another. Phantoms that reflect in the branches, the nature’s growth and extinction. Symbols of mercy and death.
A: The perfect phrase to start any conversation about art is: …?
L: A question: how does the artwork you’re observing make you feel? What do you seek in it? What do you wish to find?
A: Where can we usually meet you? Where do you like to work, think?
L: I work in seclusion but in the near future I’m planning an exhibition in the Caesar Gallery in Olomouc.
A: Please, share your favorite quote or idea (not necessarily related to art):
L: When the dark is still, something shall glimmer…
Thank you!
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