Eva Švankmajerová

EVA ŠVANKMAJEROVÁ WAS AN ICONIC CZECH PAINTER, WRITER, PUPPETEER, CERAMICIST AND POLYMATH, WHOSE DREAMLIKE LANDSCAPES WERE FILLED WITH NEO-SURREALIST THEMES, AND EXPLORED THE ROLE OF WOMEN AFTER THE FALL OF THE IRON CURTAIN. ŠVANKMAJEROVÁ FOUND INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS, IN PARTICULAR FOR HER WORK WITH HER CREATIVE PARTNER AND HUSBAND, THE SURRREALIST FILMMAKER JAN SVANKMAJER. RARELY EXHIBITED OUTSIDE THE CZECH REPUBLIC, THE COMMUNICATION OF DREAMS IN 1992 WAS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO SEE ŠVANKMAJEROVÁ’S WORK IN BRITAIN. SIX YEARS LATER, THE COUPLE COLLABORATED ONANIMA, ANIMUS, ANIMACE, A JOINT EXHIBITION WHICH TOURED THE CZECH REPUBLIC. ŠVANKMAJEROVÁ’S WORK WAS RECENTLY CURATED IN MOVE LITTLE HANDS MOVE (2020) AT THE KUNSTHALLE IM LIPPSIUSBAU IN DRESDEN, GERMANY.