The paintings of Jaroslava Valečka are characterized by the extraordinary coherence and continuity with which the artist captures the evocative charm of nature and the cycle of life within it. His paintings reflect a deep connection to the landscape of the Lusatian Mountains, where he grew up; this experience has shaped his predominantly landscape-oriented body of work. He paints views of long horizons and sensitively observes the changing sky.

In his interpretation, the landscape takes on a balladic, melancholic, and at times even horror-like tone. The paintings are not a documentary record of a place, even though they are based on a specific landscape; rather, they are a mood, a state of mind. The artist creates narratives often inspired by real-life stories, emphasizing the atmosphere of the painting—an atmosphere enhanced by bold colors, the use of light, and expressive, abbreviated brushwork.

Jaroslav Valečka (*1972) studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague from 1991 to 1998 in the studios of J. Sopko and J. Hendrych. He completed internships and study stays in Norway, Germany, and the Netherlands. In 2004, he became a member of the Czech section of the Stuckist movement, which champions painting and rejects empty conceptualism, and since 2010 he has been a member of the Natvrdlí group, whose name reflects the stance of painters working with the traditional medium of painting.

He has been holding solo exhibitions since 1999 and is considered one of the leading Czech artists; his works have repeatedly been successfully auctioned abroad, for example at Sotheby’s. Jaroslav Valečka’s work is represented in many private and public collections in the Czech Republic and abroad, including the National Gallery in Prague, GASK in Kutná Hora, the Regional Gallery in Liberec, Credit Mutuel de Bretagne, and others. He lives and works in Prague and in the village of Líska in the Lusatian Mountains.