Frame 61April 02, 2019

Vojtech Kovarik

Frame 61April 02, 2019

“my human body study has degenerated into a kind of obsession with absurdity.”

Interview by: Isabel Sachs

Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your background? Where did you study?

Hey! I was born in Valasske Mezirici in the Czech Republic. I studied ceramics at Secondary school of applied art in Uherske Hradiste (CZ) and now I am finishing a diploma in the Faculty of Fine Arts in Ostrava (CZ). I was raised in Roznov pod Radhostem and now I am coming back to live and work here.

You studied ceramics before focusing on painting as a medium. What was your favourite part about ceramics and does any of it influence your current practice?

I had a sculptural approach in this subject. What I really loved in my study of ceramics was making casting molds and creating large glazed vases. Now I am coming back to this media. Actually working on a few mosaics and also preparing huge figural statues from burnt ceramic, they look really similar to my paintings. I would like to combine both mediums together eventually.

Would you define your characters as men or as beasts? Is that difference important to you?

I love to mix human and beast motifs together. I have several cycles, for example, the series of beasts and fighters, there is no difference. Both themes are waiting for a fight.

The series about beasts I reproduce in a playful mood with a kind of humor. The fighters are the dominant theme for me. It's more serious and I have a much more variety of topics to choose from. Formally, it looks like my human body study has degenerated into a kind of obsession with absurdity.

Your work has a large-scale and even suggests that the image doesn't end when the canvas ends. Why do you work on these dimensions? It reminds me of some street artists who paint only in such a way. Is there any influence of graffiti culture on this choice?

Simply put, paradoxically, for me it's the natural format. I really like to look at big paintings, there is often more power. You can paint big things much bigger and play more with composition, space, patterns, and balance of color.

I don't follow the graffiti scene, in Czech-Republic graffiti become progressively worse and I lost a taste for graffiti.

Tell us a bit about how you spend your day / studio routine? What is your studio like?

I try to paint every day, often about 10 hours per day. My working process is really intensive. I paint with acrylic colors, they dry fast and sometimes the artwork is finished in a few days.

Currently, I work till summer in a temporary studio like office, so it's really hard to do dimensional canvases there. Fortunately, we are now finishing my own studio next to my house, which will be very large, so I can work on much larger projects. It's situated on the edge of the city. Its beautiful place surrounded by trees. Also for me, it's a much bigger opportunity to focus on my work.

When I don't paint, I travel with my music band München Konflikt on concerts in the EU. I really love music and I am also collecting vinyl which I listen to in my studio when I am working. Sometimes I play my vinyl collection on events under my pseudonym DJ Donut.

What artworks have you seen recently that has resonated with you?

Arthur Jafa's solo exhibition: A Series of Utterly Improbable, Yet Extraordinary Renditions (2019) in Galerie Rudolfinum in Prague (CZ). Jafa makes present the image of African-American identity and culture through a broad spectrum of contemporary footage and found images. Really impressive artist.

Is there anything new and exciting in the pipeline you would like to tell us about?

In May I will be finishing my diploma. 5th June I will have a solo exhibition in the Public Gallery in London. At the end of June I will be showing in a group exhibition in N.Y. and then in August I be doing a residency in L.A. I am also preparing shows in Paris and Budapest. I am really looking forward to this summer!

vojtechkovarik.com

All images courtesy of the artist
Publish date: 02/04/2019

Frame 61