We bring to your attention an interview with a talented Czech artist Jan Kaláb
Can you share the inspiration behind your latest series of artworks? How do you approach the creative process and develop a cohesive theme throughout your work?
My latest series are organic abstract shapes inspired mostly by forms in nature. All the shapes are basically endless variations of a circle which to me represents a line which defines the border between outer and inner space. Creation to me is searching new paths of describing beauty of universal forms.
Your art often incorporates vibrant colors and dynamic shapes. How do you choose your color palette and compositions, and what role do these elements play in conveying the messages or emotions you want to express?
Playing with colors to me is like cooking. It often depends on my mood what colors I chose to paint with that day. Colors bring the emotion to the shape of my canvas. I have many blank canvases in my studio waiting to be covered by paint. Sometimes it takes me months until I start to paint a certain shape because I’m not sure what colors to use.
Many of your works involve large-scale murals in public spaces. How do you adapt your artistic style and message to fit different environments, and what challenges or opportunities does creating public art present compared to more traditional gallery settings?
Murals and public art in general are much closer to the everyday lives of people who pass by every day. It has a big impact. When creating this kind of art you have to take in consideration the location and react to it. In a certain way it is easier to create in an outdoor space because you are reacting to something that already exists. When creating art in the studio it can be difficult to even figure out what to do.
Collaboration seems to be a recurring theme in your career, with projects involving other artists, communities, and organizations. How do you navigate the collaborative process, and how does it influence the final outcome of your projects?
Collaboration is about interaction between people which is something very important in my opinion. Being an artist can be a very lonely profession. So working on some projects together with others is very refreshing. The most important thing is you have to love the people you work with. If you find the same direction with them, amazing things can happen.
Street art often blurs the line between public and private spaces. How do you view the relationship between art and the public, and what impact do you hope your work has on the communities that interact with it?
I always try to capture universal beauty in different forms. So I would like to transfer this emotion to others who look at it. In the end it is not important if it is on the street or in a gallery.
Your journey as an artist has taken you to various countries and cultural contexts. How has travel influenced your artistic perspective, and are there specific experiences or encounters that have significantly shaped your artistic evolution?
Seeing different cultures and local art scenes gives you a general overview. The mix of all the inspirations is the subconscious inspiration for my own creation.
Please walk us through your latest body of work – Pocket Paintings. How did this come about? Any inspiration?
Every year I do collections of small paintings affordable for young collectors. This year I came up with the idea of really small paintings the size of a cell phone. Painting which fit into your hand perfectly. During the summer we played with various sizes to find the best one. I wanted to do a small collection of my significant paintings I did in bigger sizes. I did 7 different images, one for every day of the week, each with limited pieces of 50. All of them are hand painted. And they are super cute. Very interesting is that these small pieces look good even on a big wall.
