The significant Czech exile artist Jan Koblasa has died

Prague - At the age of 85, the Czech sculptor, painter, graphic artist, and author of many philosophical essays Jan Koblasa passed away last week. The Czech Press Agency confirmed his death today, citing his family, through gallery owner Jiří Rybář. Koblasa, who was one of the most respected exiled artists, had lived in Germany since 1968, where he served as a professor at an art school for over 20 years. In 2002, President Václav Havel awarded him the Medal of Merit.

Koblasa's creative journey is a synthesis of reflections on humanity and the role it has in the world. It is a return to ancient myths and archetypes, in which there is an analogy with the feelings of contemporary people. A prominent theme emerging from his work of the 1960s includes motifs of Kings, Prophets, Guardians, and Laments, followed by figures from Greek mythology, themes from the world of opera and theater, as well as street actors and musicians.

Born in Tábor, Jan Koblasa studied at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts in the 1950s, where he briefly taught in the 1990s. Even during his studies, he actively participated in public life, contributing to events like Malmuzherciáda in the spirit of neo-Dadaist recesitation (1954) and was a founding member of the Club (from 1957 Šmidrové), whose other members included artists such as Bedřich Dlouhý, Karel Nepraš, and Jaroslav Vožniak. As a leading figure of his generation, Koblasa organized, among other things, unofficial exhibitions called Confrontation I and II (1960).

In 2012, Jan Koblasa had a major retrospective at the Riding School of Prague Castle on the occasion of his 80th birthday - it showcased his work from realistic beginnings through the informal 1960s in both painting and sculpture, and a greater emphasis on his exile period. Koblasa's work often features romantic, existential, mythical, intimate, and religious motifs. He uses almost every material that a sculptor wishes to try - from wood to ceramics, stone, and iron, to plastic.

In 2013, Koblasa's sculpture Resurrection was installed on the occasion of the anniversary of November 17 in St. Vitus Cathedral in Hradčany. By placing the sculpture in one of the most significant symbols of Prague and the Czech Republic, Koblasa's work entered into proximity with the works of notable artists from the past. The impressive altar statue of the Crucified has in the St. Vitus Cathedral, for example, one of the greatest figures of Czech Art Nouveau, Bílek. The founder of modern Czech sculpture, Myslbek, also has his works in the cathedral.