Bright, boundless and bold. Jan Kaláb is known from Europe to Shanghai, New York City to Rio de Janeiro, as an exuberate artist who turn shapes, streetcorners and galleries into points of shifting perspective. There is a youthful projection of coloring outside of the lines.
Perhaps that is reminiscent of the wild nights in Prague he spent slipping from stop to stop on the subway delving recklessly into graffiti with his friends, a crew called the ‘The DSK’ in Prague’s art center, formerly known as the Cakes. They would quickly throw street art all over the walls in an attempt to be seen in a world where too often youthful energy is left unchanneled, unfocused and snubbed.
The sensations you get when you remember any special moment or melody; this feeling of déjà vu is what I strive to achieve and wish to resonate with my audience.
-Jan Kalab
Thankfully, Jan found the direction and guidance he needed to take his inner calling of self-expression into a meaningful path. A Masters graduate from the Academy of Fine Arts of Prague in 2006, Jan had his first solo exhibition shortly thereafter in 2008 at the acclaimed Trafo Gallery, an exclusive art space notorious for showing only outstanding artists with limited shows of six per year.
Now, to worldwide acclaim, Jan Kaláb, has created an impressive portfolio featuring various mediums, proportions and perspectives, evolving into 3-D graffiti, light suspended installations, animated NFTs, paintings, and sculptures exhibiting in high profile galleries around the world.
My paintings teeter on the edge of sculpture and my sculptures are mostly painted. I am inspired by nature and both, the micro and macro, cosmos. Sometimes my shapes may resemble a particular form, but my intention is not to capture nor replicate an existing image or narrative. Rather, I’m looking for universal beauty in an unseen and novel perspective, and telling a different interpretation of, perhaps, a known story.
-Jan Kalab
Exploring the morphology of shape and color has made for truly intriguing installations. They become a place where you can not only see the art but feel the emotions of the artist as well. Mesmerizing movement and saturated shades blend into hypnotic moments that feel almost like an illusion.
I am an abstract artist working with various mediums and different types of techniques. Shape and color are
-Jan Kalab
the main characters of my work, which I push and blend together to exaggerate, or minimize, forms and to
express my artistic self.
TO EXPLORE MORE VISIT: JAN KALAB GALLERY
- Photo Credits: MAXIMILLIAN BALASZ, PETR HRIKO, JUNG JOO-HWAN