Jan Kubíček

Jan Kubíček (1927–2013) was a Czech painter, graphic artist, photographer and one of the most important representatives of Czech geometric abstraction, constructivism and concrete art. He studied at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague and scenography at the Academy of Performing Arts. From an early interest in the urban environment and lettrist compositions he gradually worked his way to a reduced geometric language in which he explored the relationships of line, plane, sign, order and chance.

His work is based on precisely defined systems, variations and shifts of simple geometric elements, especially the square, circle, diagonal and the letter L. Alongside painting and works on paper, he also devoted himself to graphic art, photography, illustration and spatial objects. Although during the period of normalisation he was for a long time unable to exhibit his free work in Czechoslovakia, his work gained recognition in an international context and today is represented in important collections in the Czech Republic and abroad, including the National Gallery in Prague, GHMP, the Moravian Gallery in Brno, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and the Museum Folkwang in Essen.