You are here

LOVERS AND FIGHTERS

City:

Categories:

Exhibition Type:

How many artists: 
1

How many exhibition works:

Date: 
Wednesday, 5 June 2019 to Saturday, 6 July 2019
Opening: 
Wednesday, 5 June 2019 - 6:30pm

PUBLIC Gallery is delighted to present Vojtěch Kovařík’s debut UK solo exhibition LOVERS AND FIGHTERS. The show unveils a new series of paintings in which figures from Greek mythology, classical literature and modern culture come together to blur the boundaries between these two archetypes.

 

In this new series Kovařík departs from depictions of Hulk-like muscle men locked in combat, instead inviting the viewer to engage with these figures as ‘lovers’ as well as ‘fighters’, thereby questioning traditional notions of masculinity. The phrase ‘I’m a lover not a fighter’ is also challenged, as Kovařík refutes the association of love and ‘softness’, encouraging us to consider the bravery and fearlessness involved in such romantic endeavours.

 

The paintings continue Kovařík’s trademark monumentality, bulging bodies seemingly strain against the edges of the composition and exert their physical presence within the space. Hanging on chains from the ceiling is a depiction of the Greek God Prometheus, known as the true-lover of mankind, stoically enduring his torment by Zeus’s eagle; opposite a haunting yet peaceful portrait of Romeo perched upon a balcony, recalling the famous scene in which Juliet unknowingly reveals her love to him.

 

Each painting is characterised by mottled skin tones and textures achieved using Kovařík’s technique of spray paint and acrylic. For him, the body and great slabs of flesh and muscle offer infinite artistic interest, whereas the face, limbs and all other features of his figures are rendered in a brusque stylised shorthand. The contrast between these styles creates a brutal naivety, and an unlikely charm and sense of playfulness.

 

Artist ( Description ): 

Vojtěch Kovařík (b. 1993) studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and received his BA and MA at the Faculty of Arts of the Ostrava University, Czech Republic. Among other awards he was the winner the Critics’ Prize for Young Painting (Prague, 2019). Solo exhibitions include ‘Landscapes of Muscle’, Galerie Dukla, Ostrava (2019), ‘Heaven Hell Paradise’, Galerie města Třince, Třinec (2019), ‘Temple of Doom’, Berlínskej Model, Prague (2019) and ARMAGEDON, Galerie OFF/FORMAT, Brno (2018)

Other Info: 

PUBLIC is a contemporary art gallery in East London specialising in solo exhibitions of carefully selected artists that combine a strong creative vision, notable technical ability and artistic integrity. The gallery is devoted to fostering meaningful interaction between a dynamic network of artists, collectors and the public.

 

Venue ( Address ): 

PUBLIC Gallery

17 Amhurst Terrace London

E8 2BT

Public Gallery , London

Other events from Public Gallery

view
Steph Huang: I will see you when the week ends
04/27/2023 to 05/20/2023
view
Adam Cruces: Chimera
03/22/2023 to 04/15/2023
view
Short-term pleasure, Long-term pain
02/15/2023 to 03/11/2023
view
Adam Farah-Saad: B-SIDES (THE RE-UP / PSYCHOCRUISING FAITHFUL MIX)
01/11/2023 to 02/04/2023

Pages