color linocut, edition of 8, signed by the artist
(Jihočeská gotika) color linocut, A.B., signed by the artist
(Vůně jara), color linocut, edition of 10, signed by the artist
"„The visual world around me still attracts me most. At the same time, it’s closely connected with my experiences in the world of art – visual arts, but also music and literature.
The contemporary world naturally connects within me with the worlds of the past, which I strive to convey in my prints. I think the artist also expresses his individuality through the way he adapts the technique that he uses – to fit him best. I have long looked for a way to modify the linocut technique and get to the point where I feel that it fits my own language of expression. Now I’m free: I know how to handle technical challenges when creating new prints, I know that there are several ways and it‘s up to me which one to choose. Actually, I do each of my drawings in such a way that allows me to use them later for linocut.“
Pavel Piekar | born 1960 in Ostrava
Biography
Pavel Piekar has been living and working as printmaker in Prague since his graduation from the Czech Technical University in 1983. With private training in art studios of Prof. Bohuslav Kutil, and Jenny and Jan Hladik, Piekar has mastered his drawing skills and later brought to mere perfection the printmaking technique of color linocut. He uses between 5-50 colors in multi-block printing, depending on the selected subject matter.
Since 1990 Piekar has been exhibiting extensively in the Czech Republic as well as abroad (Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, Sweden, France, and Belgium), in both solo and group exhibitions. His prints and drawings are represented in private and public collections, galleries and permanent collections of museums in the Czech Republic (Museum of Art and Design Prague, Museum of National Literature Prague), in Centre Culturel Beauchamp in France and in Thailand.
Piekar excels in multicolor linocut technique. He transforms his realistic drawings, landscapes and portraits, through their precise division into a complex matrix that allows him to use multiple colors. Piekar creates fine art prints in limited editions, using mix of graphic and oil inks.
Pavel Piekar is active in Czech printmaking community. He is member of the prominent HOLLAR Association of Czech Printmakers and currently serves as president of the HOLLAR Foundation. For 10 years, he has been managing the Czech pavilion at Venice Biennale.
Awards (selection)
2009 / Merit Award in Intaglio, Annual Prints Award, Prague, the Czech Republic
2007 / Jury Award, Biennale of Small Prints, Breclav, the Czech Republic
2004 / First Prize for Linocut, Annual Prints Award, Prague, the Czech Republic
2003 / Merit Award for Linocut, Annual Prints Award, Prague, the Czech Republic