Vojtěch Kovařík

Vojtěch Kovařík's work is a pantheon in which the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology crowd together and where there are so many figures confined in frames too narrow to contain the weight of their own symbolism. These once extraordinary beings are no longer triumphant. They are summoned in paintings and sculptures in the style of the muralists Diego Riviera and José Clemente Orozco. Kovařík was also inspired by the national socialist art strategies prevalent before the collapse of the USSR, two years before being born in the Czech Republic. His paintings adopt the same principles: simplicity and clarity, use of symbols, exaggerated strokes, striking colors, uniformity, and repetition. Kovařík reveals the gap between the great ideologies and myths our culture and each of us inherit, and the way they perpetuate patterns of oppression. He is dedicated to deconstructing the authoritative, dismantling grand narratives and its heroes, leaving traces of individual mythology and giving them a new relevance. The artist rehumanizes these gods that were so distant, and in doing so, narrates the dilemmas of contemporary life, confronted with symbols too stifling to inhabit his history and experience of the world. ...

Galerie Derouillon was founded in Paris in 2013 by Benjamin Derouillon and is dedicated to discovering and supporting emerging contemporary artists. Since its inception, Galerie Derouillon has put the emphasis on providing young artists a long term support in every stage of production, exhibition and dissemination of our artists’ practice. The main focus is on international emerging artists, creating a community and bonds with historical and more established artists through curated group shows. Collaboration is an important feature in the ecosystem of the gallery as we dedicate ourselves in creating relationships between artists, galleries and institutions by producing books, exhibitions as well as working closely with public and private institutions. ...