Josef Bolf

Josef Bolf (*1971) is one of the most prominent artists of his generation, growing up in the 1970s and 1980s. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts (AVU) in Prague, where he studied under Jiří Načeradský, Vladimír Kokolia, and Vladimír Skrepl. Currently, he is the head of the Painting III studio at AVU. Between 1996 and 2002, he was a member of the Bezhlavý jezdec (Headless Horseman) art group, with whom he also co-founded a showcase gallery of the same name. In 2005, he became a finalist for the Jindřich Chalupecký Award, completed numerous international residencies, and was named Artist of the Year in 2010.

The central theme of his work is a return to childhood—a period shrouded in the mist of time for many of us, yet one that the artist reopens and confronts with the present. The depicted figures, often combining human and animal characteristics, evoke a disturbing impression as they find themselves in unexpected, even drastic situations. This oppressive atmosphere is balanced by a distinctive color palette, particularly the frequent use of pink, which gives the paintings a softer appearance at first glance. A distinctive feature of his painting technique is scratching through a layer of ink applied over a wax base to reveal the final image. Alongside painting, he also creates comics and puppet films.

Bolf’s works are included in major Czech and international collections (National Gallery Prague, Prague City Gallery, Robert Runták Collection, Eileen S. Kaminsky Family Foundation, among others).