Jan Mikulka

The career of Jan Mikulka is characterised by a rapid achievement of important results and the victory of significant awards, that led him exhibit in prestigious venues such as the National Portrait Gallery in London and the MAXXI in Rome in 2015.

Jan Mikulka painted the amazingly realistic portrait in a bid to mimic the effects of a photography in canvas form. Visitors to the National Portrait Gallery’s BP Portrait Award have been so stunned by its life-like qualities that it was voted the best in the exhibition.

In 2013 Jan Mikulka won the RP Prize of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters with a dark and photo-realistic work (Selfportrait, oil on canvas, 100×70 cm, 2012).

The hyperrealism of Mikulka almost never comes from a direct observation of things, it seems instead mediated by photographic means. The choice of the framing, similar to the one a photographer would use, is a fundamental element of his compositions, the result is well studied and nontrivial point perfectly calibrating the position of the figures represented and their relationship with space.

Looking at the work more closely, we then realise the refined technical expertise that guides the brush strokes of Mikulka. The visual impact of the work has a rare charm and makes it difficult to look away.

BORN

1980, Prague, Czech republic

EDUCATION

1996-2000 Graduation certificate, Secondary school of Applied Arts, Prague, CZ
2000-2006 Master’s degree, Academy of Fine Arts (studio of prof. Beran), Prague, CZ

COLLECTIONS

National gallery in Prague

MEAM Museum, Barcelona, Spain

EXHIBITIONS

2016 Royal Society Of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London, UK

Summer Salon Show, Rarity Gallery, Mykonos, Greece

2015 Et Cetera, MAXXI Museum, Rome, Italy

Faces of Pilsen, Depo space, Pilsen, CZ

BP Portrait Awards 2015, National Portrait Gallery, London, UK

Figurativas 15 (Honorable mention), MEAM Museum, Barcelona, Spain

2014 Royal Society Of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London, UK

2013 Art Prague (The Chemistry Gallery), Franz Kafka House, Prague, CZ

21:21, The Chemistry Gallery, Prague, CZ

Et Cetera, Instituto Italiano di Cultura, Prague, CZ

Royal Society Of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition-SELF(1.prize winner), Mall Galleries, London, UK

Volta 9 (Gallery Vernon), Dreispitzhalle, Basel, Switzerland

Confidential Reports, NoD Gallery, Prague, CZ

The Threadneedle Prize, Mall Galleries, London, UK

2012 Contemporary Czech and Slovak painting, National gallery, Prague, CZ
Academy of Fine Arts graduates - Studio of prof.Beran, Gallery Navratil, Prague, CZ
Moments (solo exhibition), Gallery Anderle, Prague, CZ
Paintomorrow, Museum Šumperk, Šumperk, CZ
Element F, Moravian Gallery, Brno, CZ

2011 BP Portrait Awards(visitors prize winner), National Portrait Gallery, London, UK
BP Portrait Awards, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, UK
BP Portrait Awards, Aberdeen Art Gallery, UK

2010 Unfocused, Pisecka brana, Prague
S.V.U. Manes Looking back, Gallery of Slovak art union, Bratislava, SK

2009 Intro, Gallery S.V.U. Manes Diamant, Prague, CZ
2008 Defenestration, New town hall, Prague, CZ
2006 Jan Mikulka (with Dusan Mravec) - Paintings, Kampa, Prague
2005 International biennal of contemporary art, National gallery, Prague, CZ
Probing 1, Gallery Anderle, Prague, CZ

2004 International art fair of contemporary art, Munincipal house, Prague, CZ
2002 Representation of Czech art universities, Sovinec, CZ

2000 Portrait of the year 2000, Klatovy, CZ

“ Still Life with lilies”,

115 x 150 cm

2016