Petr Pastrňák / Vítr vlní tichý les (The Wind Undulates the Silent Forest)

This publication accompanied the exhibition of the same name held in 2014. The exhibition curator Martin Dostál is the author of the introductory text, which offers a brief summary of Pastrňák’s oeuvre. Originally trained as a metalworker, Pastrňák did not begin his studies until the age of 28. His professional career involved stints as a locksmith, a scenery-painter and a restorer. In 1990 he began his studies at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts, including periods at the studios run by Milan Knížák, Michael Bielický and Jiří David. The publication offers a compilation of colour reproductions encompassing all phases of Pastrňák’s career – from his abstract work of the 1990s to his fascination with portraiture and eventually to landscapes and his cycle depicting burning forests. Based partly in Prague and partly in the southern Indian city of Tiruvanamalai, Pastrňák views painting as a concentrated form of contemplation and meditation.