Jakub Matuška

Jakub Matuška (b. 1981), known under the pseudonym Masker, studied painting at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts under Vladimír Skrepl and has since become one of the most distinctive Czech artists of his generation. His roots lie in graffiti and street art, though today he works primarily in painting and drawing, as well as installation, video, and interventions in public space. His practice brings together humour, irony, and lyricism with both personal and social themes, exploring the relationship between image, language, and the perception of reality. His work is characterised by a combination of spontaneous ballpoint pen drawing, digital manipulation, and classical painting techniques inspired by the Old Masters as well as the avant-garde of the 20th century. Among Masker’s central concerns is the fragility of human existence, which manifests in his drawings and canvases through a peculiar distortion and contortion of form, combined with a grotesque quality that inevitably lightens what are often bitter and weighty subjects.

Matuška is a finalist of the Jindřich Chalupecký Award and a recipient of the NG 333 prize. He exhibits regularly in the Czech Republic and abroad.