Karel Štědrý

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*1985 Prague, Czech Republic

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ABOUT THE ARTIST:

The painter Karel Štědrý is one of the leading figures of the generation that entered the Czech art scene during the first decade of the 21st century. He reflects seemingly contradictory sources in his work. We can recognize in it an interest in classical modernism, architecture, but also in pop culture and its specific manifestations such as graffiti, hip-hop, break-dance and computer games.

He was born on January 30, 1985 in Prague. He first studied promotional graphics at the Václav Hollar College (1998–2003) and then painting in the studio of Stanislav Diviš at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (2003–2010). He finished school with a painting cycle called "Let no non-geometric man enter", which foreshadowed his further direction within geometric abstraction. In the same year that he graduated from the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, he received the ARSkontakt award for young visual artists. During his studies, in 2006, together with David Hanvald, Ondřej Maleček, Josef Achrer and Martin Krajec, he founded the group Obr. In 2006, he had his first solo exhibition called Architecture at the 35m2 Gallery in Prague, and since then he has had at least one exhibition of his work a year. In 2008 he participated in the international symposium of art academies in Mikulov, in 2012 in symposia in Mikulov and Litomyšl (Young Stars), in 2017 he was on a residential creative stay in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.

Since 2002, he has organized over two dozen solo exhibitions in the Czech Republic and abroad, and is popularly employed in group exhibitions, of which he already has forty. In 2010, he won the Arskontakt Award - Confrontation of Young Authors and is represented in many private and public collections. In the Sotheby's auction house, he was successfully auctioned from the avid-garde of the AcidHaus / Co series from 9,450 pounds.

What is important is his meeting with Stanislav Kolíbal, which resulted in close cooperation. When Professor Kolíbal had an exhibition in the Czechoslovak pavilion of the Venice Biennale in 2019, Karel Štědrý helped him with its implementation. He considers the legendary sculptor to be a model of determination, unceasing creativity and artistic truthfulness based on strong attitudes to life. Like Professor Kolíbal, he deals with the editing of books and catalogs by other artists, but also with the installation of exhibitions. They are united by a sense of space and its representation.
Although Karel Štědrý's paintings are based on geometric relationships and proportions, they do not lose their spontaneity. They reflect the artist's personality, the paintings intertwine reason and emotion, a certain austerity and playfulness. Their visual friendliness is - in addition to a well-thought-out composition - the result of combining acrylic paints and pastels. The painter creates other paintings exclusively with his own black, hand-made charcoal. They have order and naturalness in them. They enrich each other, take over and develop the motifs that are embedded in them. It is not without interest that the artist uses a computer instead of a sketch in the first phase.

EDUCATION:

  • 2003-2010 Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague
  • 1999-2003 high school VŠVH field of promotional art

ART RESIDENCE:

  • 2017 7th Haven, Photo Valley House, Hang Zhou, China
  • 2012 1st Symposium Litomyšl (Young Stars), Litomyšl
  • 2012 19th Art Symposium Mikulov, Mikulov
  • 2008 8th International Symposium of Art Academies, Klatovy / Klenová

Awards:

  • 2010 winner of the Arskontakt award - confrontation of young authors

SEPARATE EXHIBITIONS:

  • 2020 TETRIS, Via Art Gallery, Prague
  • 2019 Dole Gallery, Ostrava
  • 2019 The Very Best Of Karel Štědrý “, 8gallery, Prague
  • 2018 Design For Mars, Strom Art Gallery Brno
  • 2018 STAART, artfair, Saatchi, London
  • 2017 7th Haven, Photo Valley House, Hang Zhou (with P. Písařík)
  • 2017 Xuehuake, Yunding Salon, Hangzhou
  • 2017 DEEPHAUS, Gallery 1st floor, Prague
  • 2016-2017 "Karel Štědrý-Deephaus", Sokolská Exhibition Hall, Ostrava
  • 2014 Positive Geometry, Kolín City Gallery, Kolín
  • 2013 Wonderland, Prague House, Brussels
  • 2013 Neo, GASK, Kutna Hora
  • 2013 Planeta Kolor, Via Art Gallery, Prague
  • 2012 TUTU, Gallery 1st floor, Prague
  • 2012 Frames, Czech Center, Vienna (with P. Písařík)
  • 2011-2012 Modern gymnastics, Gallery of Česká pojišťovna, Prague
  • 2011 Paint colors, Via Art Gallery, Prague
  • 2011 Generous Painting, Ad Astra Gallery, Kuřim
  • 2010 Proper color, Caesar Gallery, Olomouc (with D. Hanvald)
  • 2010 AcidKolor, Gallery Na Půdě, Vrchlabí
  • 2010 The Essence 2010, Kotelna Karlin gallery, Prague (with A.Mulabegovič)
  • 2010 Pop Fiction II., Boiler room Karln Gallery, Prague (with J.Sobotka)
  • 2007 Good Dairy Cow, St. Petersburg Gallery, Pilsen (with D. Hanvald)
  • 2006 Architecture, gallery 35M2, Prague
  • 2004 Top Rock, NoD Gallery, Prague (with M.Krajec)
  • 2002 Kosher clan, Vidice, near Kutna Hora (with D. Hanvald)

GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

  • 2020 Interpreters of the World - Jiří Franta & David Böhm, Villa Pelle, Prague
  • 2020 Karartena, Trafo Gallery, Prague
  • 2019 Palaestra 20, Gallery in the Tower, New Town Hall, Prague
  • 2019 UNTITLED, artfair, Frameless Gallery, Miami
  • 2018 You, Me and a very unlikely party, New Gallery, Prague
  • 2018 Direct, Gallery in the Tower, New Town Hall, Prague
  • 2017 Pinturas Negras, New Gallery, Prague
  • 2017 Czech / China, SND Cultural And Sport Center
  • 2017 Full contact, Gallery in the Tower, Novoměstská, Prague
  • 2017 Prague Now !, Clam-Gallas Palace, Prague
  • 2016 GRYGAR, CÍSAŘOVSKÝ, NICKEL, STŘÍŽEK, GABRIEL, SÝKORA, HANZLÍK, MATOUŠEK, SMJKAL, ŠTĚDRÝ A HOSTÉ, 8 Gallery, Prague
  • 2016 Prague Now !, Clam-Gallas Palace, Prague
  • 2015 FIG. 2007- 2015, Vaclav Špála Gallery, Prague
  • 2015 Unreal, GUD Gallery, Prague
  • 2014 Debates with Geometry, Letohrádek Hvězda, Prague
  • 2014 Lone Rangers, Frameless Gallery, London
  • 2012 Fig. in the Vysočina region, Vysočina Regional Gallery, Jihlava
  • 2012 Citation and Interpretation II. - painting, NOD Roxy Gallery, Prague
  • 2012 Czech House in London at the Olympics, London
  • 2012 Metaplay, Gallery of Critics, Prague
  • 2011-2012 Czech painting of the generation of the zero years of the 21st century, Wannieck Gallery, Brno
  • 2011 Art Prague, Via Art Gallery, Prague
  • 2011 Fig., NoD Gallery, Prague
  • 2011 Clan, Medium Gallery, Bratislava
  • 2011 Clan, exhibition hall Chrudim, Chrudim
  • 2010 Confrontation of young authors, Arskontakt Gallery Brno, Prague
  • 2009 Current state, confrontation of AVU / VŠUP Dolmen Gallery, Prague
  • 2009 K2 Mitte, created gallery in OD Kotva (with V.Kabzan and P.Písařík)
  • 2009 Fig. Cube, project in the exterior of Klárov, Prague
  • 2009 Confrontation of young authors, Arskontakt Gallery Brno, Prague
  • 2009 Confrontation of young authors, Arskontakt Gallery Brno, Prague
  • 2009 Fig. na Písku, Workshop Transit / Workshops /, Bratislava
  • 2008 Fig. nad Brnem, Aula Gallery, Brno
  • 2008 Fig., Mánes Gallery, Prague
  • 2008 Gallery in movement, Landshut
  • 2008 Czech sample, ASA Gallery, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • 2008 Contacts, Klatovy Gallery / Klenová granary
  • 2008 VŠVU / VŠUP, gallery VŠUP, Prague
  • 2007 Istroart / copy-paste, Galerie Medium, Bratislava
  • 2007 Fig. in the Louvre, Louvre Gallery, Prague - official establishment of the art group Obr.
  • 2007 Fig. Designblok 07, Prague
  • 2007 Beauty and the Beast, New Hall Gallery, Prague
  • 2007 Goldener Centaur, Munchner Kunstlerhauses, Munich
  • 2007 Our Heart, House of Arts, Brno
  • 2006 Trafačka, Trafačka Factory Hall, Prague
  • 2006 Format, exhibition space Dinitz, Prague
  • 2006 City, AVU Gallery, Prague
  • 2006 AVU / VŠUP, AVU Gallery, VŠUP building, Prague
  • Autumn Autumn Flowers, V. Kolona, ​​Psychiatric Hospital Bohnice, Prague
  • 2006 Confrontation of young authors, Artkontakt Gallery Brno, g. XXL Louny, g.Vltavín Prague
  • 2006 Painting Studio, Basilica Cultural Center, České Budějovice
  • 2006 Paintings, HVB Bank, Valdek, Prague
  • 2005 Autumn Flowers, V. Kolona, ​​Bohnice Psychiatric Hospital, Prague
  • 2005 Painting Studio, Duna Tri Gallery, Bystřice nad Perštejnem
  • 2003 Painting studio, VŠVH gallery space, Prague