Stanislav Podhrázský and friends

In 2020, the centenary of the birth of one of the most distinctive Czech artists of the post-war generation, Stanislav Podhrázský (1920–1999), passed almost unnoticed – in part because of the limitations on cultural life resulting from the anti-Covid measures. According to Marie Klimešová, Podhrázský is one of just a few Czech artists who – had it not been for Communism – would undoubtedly have achieved European fame thanks to the unique and timeless nature of their work. His unusual lyrical form characterised by a distinctive sense of unease combines artistic trends of that period such as Surrealism, abstraction and New Figuration, while at the same time its spontaneous expression preserves Podhrázský’s characteristic personality.