The focus of the studio is drawing, painting and the intersection of the two, though the choice of medium is not the most important thing. There is room for a wide range of expression in our studio, from line work and large-scale drawings and paintings, via figuration, to the treatment of the moving image, conceptualism and diverse forms of visual narrative.
The deployment of visual thinking is important to us. We encourage students not only to work on the basis of inner motives and feelings, but to try to analyse their work and be aware of their own motivations and processes. Clarity and intelligibility of expression is essential.
We view each student as an individual personality. We are happy when their discover their own fascinations, inner motivations and sources of inspiration. We deem the ability to convey their thoughts and emotions to others to be a hugely important skill. We lay an emphasis on personal development in the practical intellectual and emotional spheres, and on an open-mindedness and knowledge of the transformations of the artistic and non-artistic world.
The drawing studio is a base, laboratory and open platform. The students are actors who create the running of the studio and its atmosphere within the framework of individual semesters. As individual personalities they directly shape the studio “story”. Joint meetings both in and outside the studio enable not only consultation regarding work, but also discussions of events on the art scene and in society at large and the screening of artworks and documentaries. Together we travel to plein-air workshops, visit exhibitions and other cultural events and then discuss them together.
An important feature of the studio is the possibility it offers students to exhibit their work in gallery and non-gallery spaces and to participate in the curatorial inspiration, installation and theoretical conception. We cooperate with other studios in the Czech Republic and abroad.
The origin of the Drawing Studio dates back to 1991. The founder was Jitka Svobodová, a prominent personality on the Czech art scene, who led the studio until 2012. The artist Jiří Šťourač was assistant until 1995, followed by Jiří Petrbok, who took over the studio and led it from 2012 to 2012. His assistants were Petr Vaňous and Martin Gerboc respectively. Since 2023, the studio has been jointly run by Alice Nikitinová and Matěj Smetana.
Doctoral studies in the Drawing Studio are dependent on individual projects. As a platform the aim is to develop the means for self-expression on a deeper theoretical and practical basis. Doctoral students play an important role in the running of the studio.
