It is very difficult for me to answer the question about the origin of an idea. Sometimes I really don’t know where the idea or thought for the idea came from. How is it possible that I suddenly know what I want to do and how to do it? Writer and pilot Richard Bach described it nicely in his book Out of My Mind. Sometimes I need to draw an idea (thought), sometimes I create a sketch right away, and sometimes I model a sculpture without any preparatory sketches. Sometimes it requires a longer search and trial and error. But other times, there are projects that you have in your head that can be realised almost immediately. And then you just need to figure out how to do it and realise it in the material. For larger sculptures, I usually use a smaller auxiliary model — for example, works such as Levitation 2010 or EVA were preceded by a life-size sculpture. Only then did I execute everything on a larger scale. Conversely, I created the smaller versions after completing the larger ones. Basically, this allowed me to try out alternative compositions and designs.

I have my motto – do no harm and do not kill. In recent years, I have also come to like the words of our first Czechoslovak president, T. G. Masaryk – do not be afraid and do not steal, and truth will prevail. In a way, this applies to life, but also to art. I believe that art should not hurt and definitely not kill. And if you want to achieve something and do it properly, you must not be afraid and you must believe in yourself. And you must not steal in art either – Michelangelo already mocked plagiarism and eclecticism. You cannot lie in art. Not even to yourself.

What is your definition of artistic success?

Probably the creation of the Operation Anthropoid memorial in 2009 – it was a team effort. My co-author was my friend and classmate from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Brno, Michal Šmeral, and the architectural design was prepared by Miroslav and Jiří Gulbis. We found out about the competition by accident on TV (about a month before the deadline for submitting proposals). The topic of the Heydrich assassination, the resistance during World War II, the paratroopers Gabčík and Kubiš, Czechoslovak airmen in Britain – I had read and admired all of this since childhood. At first, we were quite uncertain and hesitant when creating the design and we did everything remotely – I was in northern Moravia, my colleague in Brno, the architects in Prague – we communicated via the internet and phone. One morning, my friend and I had a clear idea and we solved the entire composition. I lay in bed with my phone to my ear, imagining a triangular prism above me, cutting through the intersection like a knife, standing out like an island or a last refuge, but at the same time creating a barrier against evil. On its edge stand people – parachutists, as if standing over an abyss, determined to act and with no way of returning. When we finished the model, we didn’t like it at all, we were completely dissatisfied with it. The architect then fine-tuned it in terms of composition and, above all, construction. We conceived the whole thing as a so-called “sculpture for viewing from a car” – a sculpture that you drive past when you drive. The monument stands almost in the middle of the intersection, but it is located on the site where this significant operation of the Second World War took place (Operation Anthropoid in 1942). We submitted our design to the competition five minutes before the deadline – actually at the last minute. We had no idea and did not expect that we would win. It was not only a surprise for us, but also a big commitment. We had to promise the last surviving resistance fighters that we would have everything ready exactly within a year, on the day. The monument had to be unveiled exactly on the anniversary day and at the exact hour when this historical event took place. In the end, we succeeded. I think it is a project that has a really big and deeper meaning. It is a little different from the work I usually do. Looking back, it was really interesting to work on it as a team.

I am glad that I managed to complete several new sculptures this year. At the end of winter, I finally finished the Ishvara III sculpture after several years. I worked on this piece for a long time, but I had to interrupt my work to create the EVA sculpture. I also created several smaller sculptures during the year. I managed to participate in several international exhibitions and competitions. I have exhibited abroad before, but this year was my first solo exhibition abroad. I also greatly appreciate being selected as a finalist in several art competitions. It is a great honor for me that my work has attracted interest in competitions organised by the VAA. In addition, my colleagues and I also participated in several competitions for projects in public spaces. Although we were unsuccessful in this endeavor, there is still a lot of unused material in these projects that can be worked on. I always see it as a constant process of searching, self-education, but also finding inner humility.

What’s the one piece of advice that has helped you the most?

My biggest obstacle is probably myself. In the past, and during my art studies, I always focused primarily on creating art. I never learned a foreign language well, and I still feel that this is a major shortcoming. I am therefore grateful to my wife and eldest son, who help me with translations and often interpret for me. Another pitfall is the constant pressure of securing a livelihood. I make a living as a sculptor, but I also work as a teacher. Then there are specific problems associated with exhibitions of sculptures in general – transporting sculptures to exhibitions is not exactly cheap or easy. Of course, a similar and even bigger problem is the creation of sculptures in more traditional materials, especially when casting in bronze (where investors are absolutely essential).

What career goal is your current priority? How has the VAA helped your journey so far?

I believe that everything that happens has a meaning and a reason. I like the wise saying from the Mahabharata: “This day shall also pass.” My dad often reminded me of the idea of ​​detachment and non-attachment. Sometimes I think it is good not to expect anything – it can be interesting to have the opportunity to change something in the past, but the past cannot be changed. We can only learn from the past and mistakes. In the words of Hercule Poirot (in the book The Adventures of Christmas Pudding): “ Experience, that is priceless.” I like history and the word “if” in it is absurd and meaningless. So “if” I could say something to my “me” in the past, it would be something along the lines of what I wrote above. I think the “butterfly effect” can work.