An extensive exhibition of works by Jakub Špaňhel organized for autumn and winter 2014–2015 presents one of the major painters who currently live and create in this country, highly visible among artists not only of his generation since his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague and who has continuously reinforced the position he achieved already at that time.

Jakub Špaňhel was born in Karviná in 1976. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in 2002 when he presented, as his final thesis, a cycle of pictures representing interiors of cathedrals, undoubtedly one of the major painting cycles created in this country in the said period. In these “portraits” of sacral constructions, which he painted mainly in black, grey and gold shades, he essentially created a certain archetype of his painting, which he continuously expanded and perfected over the years. His expressive gesture and excellent painting technique have distinguished him not only with respect to the current Czech painting scene but also with respect to the German production, the expressive manifestations of which he is sometimes compared to.

Jakub Špaňhel is a painter who belongs with his works to the 1990s generation. Though younger in age, he was involved in the art and creative efforts and intentions of painters and artists one generation older than himself from the very beginning of his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. For instance, he made friends with Petr Pastrňák and some other artists who concentrated around Galerie MXM, undoubtedly the most significant private gallery in Prague in the 1990s. Therefore, it is quite understandable that he also held his first exhibition in such a prestigious place together with Petr Pastrňák.

Already at that time he had opened some other themes, which in the following years he worked with and modulated. This concerns, for example, the theme of flowers or nudes which penetrate all of Jakub's work. Or paintings created by means of a paint roller, which is to a great extent the painting technique applied by painters of the mid-1990s. However, unlike the lyrical fineness and fragility which characterizes the then painting production, Špaňhel's canvases make a much rougher and more aggressive impression, as if the fine spirit of that period was irreversibly lost. 

Also, Jakub Špaňhel is continuously devoted to painting landscapes, or rather certain constructions and objects within the landscape. He paints, for instance, crematoria in order to gradually create “portraits” of petrol stations or world banks. And this is only a step away from a completely opposite theme, i.e. Reynek and his magic world of “small delights”. Is it logical? I think it is.

Jakub Špaňhel's works are represented in the Richard Adam Gallery's collection by a large group of pictures introducing his various painting activities. Nevertheless, the exhibition we have prepared together with the painter should be substantially broader thematically speaking. In addition, this time Jakub Špaňhel presents mainly large canvases created recently.  In Brno, the artist's most recent paintings which could not yet be presented due to their size are displayed.