Martin Prachař

Martin Prachař was born on 16 August 1990 in Kyjov, Czech Republic. In 2019, he completed his Master’s degree at the Faculty of Design and Art in Plzeň. Since 2017, he has been working there as a teaching assistant to Professor Boris Jirků, one of the leading figures of contemporary Czech visual art.

His artistic development has been profoundly shaped by a rebellious youth and a complex family background. These formative experiences continue to influence both the emotional intensity and conceptual depth of his work.

After completing primary school, he chose to study painting at the Secondary School of Applied Arts in Bechyně, where he quickly distinguished himself as a talented and original young artist. During this period, he developed a passion for drawing and graffiti, the latter occasionally bringing him into conflict with the authorities.

His decision to continue at university was a natural progression. It was there that Professor Boris Jirků recognised and further cultivated his exceptional talent for drawing and painting. In addition to Jirků, Prachař acknowledges the influence of artists such as Jiří Anderle, Oldřich Kulhánek, Egon Schiele, Lucian Freud and Michelangelo.

Prachař belongs to a younger generation of Czech artists whose work is characterised by constant development, experimentation and self-reflection. His artistic practice remains open and evolving, shaped by an ongoing search for new forms of expression and deeper personal authenticity.

Conceptually, his work explores themes of life and death, sexuality, politics and social relationships. While his artistic language is rooted in strong drawing skills and academic foundations, it gradually moves towards increasingly expressive and abstract forms.

Through this transition from academic realism to abstract expression, Prachař continues to develop a distinctive visual language that combines emotional intensity, technical mastery and a willingness to confront challenging contemporary themes.