Ludmila Seefried Matějková (*1938) developed her artistic course for most of her life outside her homeland, specifically in West German Berlin, where she moved in 1967. She returned to the Czech Republic in 2015. Her sculptural and drawing work reflects the horrors of war, the monstrosities of the Stalinist 1950s and the hardships of life in exile. Motifs of direct violence and pain are accompanied by deep insights into the human soul with its silent dramas, such as uprooting, loss of self-esteem, self-torture, apathy, or, on the contrary, questioning, self-awareness and contemplation.

The exhibition in Museum Kampa will present a selection of Matějková’s work, ranging from early polyester sculptures (Scream, Hanna, Before the Door) to several works in baked clay (The Beggar, Nab, Strangulation). The exhibition will be accompanied by a diary publication with Matějková’s memories of her time behind and before the Iron Curtain.  Here, the author uses authentic language to describe the political and social context of the time and its influence on the formation of her artistic language. In the same colourful way, she presents her work of her public space projects in Berlin and in a trio of literary short stories she explains the creation of the sculptures (Hanna, The Beggar, Nab) which will be on display.  

Partner of the exhibition: