Marketa Kolarova’s Mayan series of paintings created during her artist residency at THINK + feel Contemporary, Miami have been included in the spring-summer 2024 exhibition So Close, Yet So Far Away alongside with works by two other Czech artists, Jan Heres and Laura Limbourg. These three gen Y-Z gen artists share common background (nationality and education at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts) as well as their deep infatuation with Asia.
Marketa Kolarova’s subtle female portraits evoke a strong sense of melancholy and mystery. Marketa draws her primary inspiration from the rich tapestry of Asian mythology, culture, and history that she has come to know intimately as she splits her time between Europe and the Philippines.
Marketa’s portraits of women epitomize mysticism. They are her artistic search for the essence of the feminine that goes beyond the superficial female “exotic look.” The artist has been able to translate her original exploration of Slavic mythology, particularly its female figures that inspired famous Czech artists in the past (such as Dvorak’s Rusalka, Tuckova’s Carpathian Goddesses or female historical figures of the Mucha’s Slav Epic’s) to new geographic and cultural territories. As such, her paintings reflect this unmistakable style and fusion of distinct cultures and influences.
During her artist residency in Miami at our gallery, Kolarova stayed loyal to her exploration of mysticism by traveling to Mexico’s neighboring Aztec and Mayan sacred sites. Portraits she created are permeated by melancholy; we see figures and faces whose expressions raise questions of what emotional state they are in and what they are trying to convey that has become the central feature of the Marketa’s oeuvre.
Soulfulness, the inward gaze and the spiritual dynamics that these faces reflect, are subtly attractive and eye-catching mirrors that entice the viewer to immerse themselves in the world of mysticism and contemplation. By infusing elements of mythology and history into her portraits, Kollarova invites viewers to explore the depths of emotion and contemplate the enigmatic nature of existence within a broader cultural context.