7. 2. 2020 Jiří Straka: Chinese Sandwich

Jiří Straka's exhibition The Chinese Sandwich, held on the occasion of the publication of the
same title, runs from Friday, 7 February to Friday, 28 February 2020 at the auction and
exhibition gallery KODL.

The sales exhibition presents a cross-section of the artist's work from 2010 to 2020. The
exhibited works include everyday objects from Chinese streets, industrial themes of cables and
wires, figural paintings mapping the fringe of Chinese society, as well as paintings inspired by
the author's birthplace in the Krkonoše mountains. The element connecting all the artworks is
the medium of ink wash painting, which the author has dedicated himself to consistently for over
twenty years. The common motive is also the exploration of the border possibilities of ink wash
painting and the search for contrasting, often contradictory and surprising solutions in its
connection with the western visual tradition. Choosing themes that are foreign to ink wash
painting and that give Chinese viewers an unsettling, unusual impression is also a typical
feature of Straka's paintings. “Ink wash painting is not exactly therapy for me, but it is an
attempt to solve the problem of one's own cultural identity torn between two completely different
environments. It is an attempt to make an irrational urge make sense.” says the artist.

Guided tour with the author himself on Thursday, February 13, 2020 from 4 pm, and on Thursday, February 20, 2020, from 6:30 pm the artist's performance. You are all cordially invited!