The exhibition Men Who Left Behind Sawdust presents a collection of paintings and hand-carved wooden reliefs whose central theme is the journey in its various forms. The journey as physical movement through the landscape, a space for pause and contemplation, but also as a metaphor for artistic creation, personal self-discovery, and the constant setting of higher goals.

These two dimensions naturally intertwine and are mutually dependent. An artistic career is often associated with intense experiences, perseverance, and doubts about the meaning of one’s own work. The creative process thus becomes an imaginary journey with the clearly defined goal of “creating a work of art,” a journey marked by alternating moments of concentration, uncertainty, discovery, and return.

In his work, the artist attaches great importance to the process itself, to transience, and to the coincidences that give rise to a dialogue between drawing, painting, and, currently, woodcut. He has long sought authenticity in storytelling through intuitively created situations that connect his inner experience with everyday life in general.

Matouš Hrbek (*1995), originally from Hradec Králové, studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague in the Painting Studio under Vladimír Skrepl and Jan Šerých, and subsequently under Robert Šalanda and Lukáš Machalický.

Curator: Anna Horák Zemanová

The Komorní Gallery "Na bidýlku II" is part of the permanent exhibition Czech Art of the 20th Century and Its Categories, which presents the work of the youngest generation of artists—current students and graduates of art school studios. Its title and focus refer to the work of gallerist Karel Tutsch, whose collection was acquired by the GMU in 2021.