The central motif of this exhibition is a single work – the lithograph Woe (Hoře) – by Jan Zrzavý, from the year 1918, which is in the collection of the Gallery of Modern Art in Hradec Králové. An allegorical, heavily stylized head is placed diagonally onto the space of the canvas, with a round white shape on its forehead, half-closed eyes, a sharp nose, and a teardrop on its left cheek. Figural motifs dominate the work of Jan Zrzavý. He was interested in humanity, its feelings and experiences. When Zrzavý drew landscapes, he did not stay out in the open to sketch them, like most painters, but took inspiration from his own imagination. We find this same stylization of invented landscapes and emphasis on inner worlds in the work of Bronislava Orlická. She believes subtlety is one of the most compelling aspects of Zrzavý’s work, and is something which renders it relevant to this day. The space of the White Cube is ideal for the uninterrupted interaction of both artists and their common story, which transcends the confines of the picture frame.
BRONISLAVA ORLICKÁ (born 1989, Karviná, Czech Republic) graduated from painter Jiří Sopko’s atelier at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (2009–2015). She has a number of exhibitions in her portfolio, including Prince.exe Megahit, Berlínskej model (Prague, 2016), Lovci bouřek (Galerie Industra, Brno, 2016), Podobat se jedna druhé (Panský dvůr gallery, Veselí nad Moravou, 2020), Krása je zastaralá (City Surfer Office, Prague, 2021), To vše (Hrob gallery, Uničov, 2021), Kdybych neměla tělo, mohla bych být všude (Karlin Studios, Prague, 2021). Last year, she moved to Hradec Králové and opened her own tattoo studio, Ahoj tattoo, where she tattoos her own original designs. This activity develops her minimalist, clean painting style, which she blends with drawing. Through stylized shapes made with closed lines, she seeks to create illustrations without text. Her approach to painting is generous, and she works with carefully selected color pallets.
