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Stanislav Kolíbal

CZ
b. 1925
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“[...] to express being, that spatial merging of a certain perfection and insufficiency. That which changes, transforms, grows and decays; which does not last.”

Born in 1925 in Orlová (Czech Republic), Stanislav Kolíbal graduated in 1950 from Prague’s Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design, after which he was admitted to the Faculty of Theatre of the Academy of Performing Arts, also in Prague. His work is counted among the fundamentals of modern Czech art, and he was a leading figure in the UB 12 art group which played an important role in the 1960s.

In the late 1950s, he began creating sculptures as a means of seeking a connection between form and shaping. The early 1960s saw a turning point in his career, as Stanislav started to use clear geometrical forms and to create elementary abstract compositions. This interest continued throughout the 1970s and 1980s, expressed as bas-reliefs and installations. From 2008 onwards, he turned back towards reliefs and created several series (White Relief, Grey Relief, Black Relief) with geometric forms and systems of lines. He has had numerous solo and group exhibitions in Prague and throughout the world, and his works feature in the collections of many major international art galleries and museums.

Grey Relief, 2016

assemblage, boards, metal and pencil drawing, 63 x 61 cm

In 1963, he began working on plans for the sculptural and bas-relief elements for the façade of the Brazilian Embassy, and these designs became a new launchpad for his subsequent work. His works concentrate on the interactions between the dichotomies of perfection/inadequacy, stability/instability, unequivocal/ambiguous, certain/uncertain. His unique style is a fusion of minimalism and conceptual art, while his two- and three-dimensional works challenge the boundaries between painting, drawing, sculpture and architecture. Throughout his career, he has worked as a teacher, designer, illustrator and architect.

Grey and White relief, 2017

wood, mastic and pencil
140×120 cm