Water, rivers, and the processes of the earth are the fundamental themes that shape Gabriela Nováková’s artistic thinking. Their constant cycle and movement help define the character of the landscape, while simultaneously shaping realms hidden from our view. In her works, the artist allows the realms of the exact and the fantastical to intermingle freely. She finds analogies for the principles she perceives in the landscape within the human mind.

She perceives the river as the Earth’s circulatory system, as nature’s sensory organ. She is fascinated by how the structure of both urban and natural landscapes transforms over time under the influence of water. The path of water meanders, unfolds in rhythms, shapes rocks, and creates new islands. Within the environment, it constantly returns and reveals its timeless structure. The artist also perceives the presence of these processual principles—which shape the landscape—in the mental realm, whether individual or collective.

The Bečva and Morava rivers are a major source of inspiration for Gabriela Nováková. In recent years, she has also been focusing on the phenomenon of wetlands. In addition to her personal exploration of specific sites, she also finds information in military and geological maps. She is interested in various interpretations of Earth’s history. Her attention is drawn to the moment of conscious detachment, the possibility of revealing the hidden. In the landscape, she perceives the power of the constant presence of order and balance, maintained precisely by the action of water’s movements.

Through her work, Gabriela Nováková restores our awareness of sensitivity toward the phenomena and processes of the surrounding environment in general. She also offers the opportunity to awaken within ourselves a “water consciousness,” a “water awareness” (Theodor Schwenk, Sensitive Chaos), and to refine our attention in case we wish to intervene in the cycle of nature and water in some way.

Gabriela Nováková (*1964) studied at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague from 1984 to 1990; and in 1989 she completed an internship at the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. In 2018, she completed her doctoral studies at the Faculty of Art and Design at J. E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem. Since 1983, she has held a number of solo exhibitions in the Czech Republic and abroad (primarily in Poland and Germany). She has received several awards for drawing (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002). Since 2005, she has been teaching at the Faculty of Architecture at the Czech Technical University in Prague. Since 2021, she has been the curator of the Kostnice Gallery in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm.