ARTROM Gallery TOP TEN International Art Competition / Surrealism 2008 / All Media, An ARTROM Gallery Winners' Exhibition, FIRST PLACE AWARD, Lukas Kandl

Jury Comment :: by Brigid Marlin "Lukas Kandl, The Embodiment of the Czech Spirit" The world of Lukas Kandl is unique. Through the window of his powerful imagination we are drawn into a world of impossibilities, where cats and mice walk upright, or upside down and stare at us with huge enigmatic eyes. Voluptuous women with creamy skin turn their backs to us or avoid our gaze. We are in an inexplicable dream world, yet we don’t quite want to awaken from such a beautiful dream, which contains such a wealth of humour, irony and sheer quirkiness. When I first saw Kandl’s work I had the strange feeling that I had met this unusual world before, but I could not think of another painter that resembled him. Then in a flash it came to me; as a child I had adored the fairy tales of the Czech writer, Karel Capek. His stories were colourful, ironic and humorous. As I grew up, I discovered that Capek had written some very serious political novels, and invented the word ‘robot ‘. He stood up against the Nazis, and died at the beginning of the war.	Works in Slideshow :: L'intuition feminine, 2006 oil/canvas 180x130cm €28.000 euro Les Champs Elysees, 1989 oil/canvas 250 x 170cm not for sale Strip-tease absolu, 2000 oil/canvas 195 x 114cm €28.000 euro L'écrin pour la musique de chambre, 2005 oil/canvas 107 X 107 cm €22.000euro Prince de lumière, 2006 oil/canvas 195 x 130cm SOLD
Just as the stark simplicity of the Greek sculptures are reflected in the Greek tragedies, the nobility and fine drawing of Leonardo da Vinci is reflected in the Renaissance buildings, and the intricate fugues of Bach are echoed in the Baroque churches of Germany; so the great humorous and ironic Czech spirit is expressed in Capek’s writings and in the paintings of Kandl, who was born in Prague. They are both in their different ways the finest embodiment of the Czech spirit.
Artist Statement :: Born in 1944 in Prague, Czech Republic, Lukáš Kándl graduated from the Prague Academy of Applied Art (1963 to 1969). In 1969 he received an MA from the Academy of Fine Arts. His professional experience took him to France and Holland as part of his study tour and in 1975, he acquired French citizenship and settled in France. His studio is currently located in Burgundy (Armes - France). In 1987 he was elected Secretary of the Paris "Salon d'Automne" and becames an Honorary Member of the Copley Society in Boston. In 1997 taught the old master paintings techniques at the Canberra University. Since 2002, he has headed the surrealistic/visionary group of the French "Salon Comparaisons" in Paris. He also brought together a group of the best contemporary international artists around a monumental project “L’Ange exquis” (see details on www.angeexquis.com. Lukáš Kándl's art is often classified within the surrealist movement. He explains that "he composes his paintings somewhat as a ballad which prompts reflexion, provokes, bemuses and always arouses a multitude of questions". A portfolio of some of his paintings is available on his website and an Art-Book of the artist's work, presenting some reflexions about his work is also available. Lukáš Kándl's original art work has been shown throughout the world in many international exhibitions. Lukáš Kándl's paintings are in private collections in Australia, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Nederlands, United States, Russia Sweden, and Switzerland as well as in museums in France, Switzerland and Australia.At the present time he has paintings in the U.S.A., in Hong Kong, and in several European countries. For more details, please visit his website. > Visit artist's website