Two dozen beautiful oil paintings delighted guests at the vernissage on June 23rd in the exhibition spaces of the State District Archive on Pod Vrchem street. The talented artist was introduced to art lovers by Jiří Čermák, a well-known Mělník photographer and expert on Mrázek's work. This is already the fifth presentation of Mrázek's work. Previously, he exhibited in places such as Litoměřice, Štětí, and his hometown of Roudnice nad Labem. As is well known, the royal town of Mělník has been a center of winemaking in Bohemia since the Middle Ages. It is located in the Central Bohemian Region, about thirty kilometers from Prague, at the confluence of the Elbe and Vltava rivers. On Pod Vrchem street is the aforementioned district archive with an art gallery. During the opening presentation of the master's work, his mother gave a lovely speech, always supporting him in his love for visual arts – unlike his strict father, who wanted his son to have a "serious" job. Therefore, he wanted Aleš to be an engineer and was not thrilled by his son's desire to attend art school. Fate, however, decided otherwise.
The life path of a North Bohemian landscape painter
Aleš Mrázek was born on April 1, 1978, in Roudnice nad Labem. He studied at the SUPŠS (State Higher Professional School) in Kamenický Šenov, specializing in glass engraving. At one time, he worked in a stained-glass workshop in Bakov nad Jizerou. Throughout his life, he has been connected to visual arts, history, and literature, which is reflected in his own creative works. Above all, he considers himself a landscape painter, but he is equally skilled at depicting figures and portraits, as evidenced by the series of historical comic books for children and young people that he has published.
His older brother, Jan, who is seven years older, introduced him to visual arts and his own creative work. Together, the boys enjoyed drawing and painting based on their readings of the popular "Čtyřlístek" (Four-Leaf Clover) comic series. However, painting captivated Aleš so much that he began visiting galleries to learn how to create his own works.
He was particularly drawn to Impressionism, and Antonín Slavíček was a major inspiration for him as a painter. He repeatedly visited the Roudnice gallery to admire Slavíček's painting "Sun in the Forest." And he painted and painted. He tried to get into the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, specializing in painting, and also applied to UMPRUM (Academy of Arts, Architecture & Design), but due to high demand, despite his significant talent, he was not accepted as a student. However, this did not prevent him from eventually having several solo exhibitions of landscape paintings. It can be said that since 2010, he has focused more on creating historical comic books, which he writes and illustrates, rather than painting outdoors. Nevertheless, Aleš Mrázek has not abandoned his work with palettes and brushes, as we can see in this exhibition in Mělník.
History has interested him since childhood
Jan Hus and Jan Amos Komenský, along with other significant figures in Czech history and related events, were known to him from history lessons. However, these lessons could not satisfy the curious boy. A major turning point in Aleš's study of history came when he took a significant life step: although raised in an atheist family, he found his own path to Christianity in 1993. He was baptized at the age of fifteen and began to learn about church matters, including Protestantism and Catholicism. In 2007, he visited Suchdol nad Odrou for the first time and discovered an extraordinary museum dedicated to the Moravian Brethren. Until then, he knew practically nothing about them. The topic fascinated him greatly, so he began studying the history of the Unitarian Church, focusing on the influence of J. A. Komenský, Christian David, and other prominent figures. He became a regular visitor to the museum in Suchdol nad Odrou. He also repeatedly visited Herrnhut and its local museum, and some time ago, Aleš Mrázek became an active member of the historical society Moravian.
The museum's exhibits, whether about mission stations on six continents or exhibitions dedicated to personalities of the Unitarian Church and David Zeisberger, amazed Aleš Mrázek. During his visits to Suchdol, he met an amazing man, Daniel Říčan, who had a perfect knowledge of the history of the Moravian Brethren. The renowned researcher was pleased with the young man's enthusiasm and interest in the subject, and over time, Aleš Mrázek became a valuable member of the historical society Moravian, which organizes regular international conferences. A large part of the inspiration for many of Mrázek's comic book series came from this place. The writer and artist also consulted with Mr. Říčan on his current work on the historical comic "In the Name of the Lamb," which tells the story of the founding and activities of the Unitarian Church, including the establishment of the town of Herrnhut in 1722.
The author told us this:
"I only have a few pages left to write in the story, which will end with the memorable Lord's Supper in 1727, when the so-called outpouring of the Holy Spirit occurred, leading to that amazing mission project around the world. The Brethren did not leave voluntarily; most had to seek another home, which paradoxically became the entire world."
As we mentioned above, Mrázek's summer exhibition of successful oil paintings, inspired by themes from northern Bohemia, will be held from June 23rd to October 16th this year. In the past three years, he has created the most paintings depicting scenes from the Podřipsko region, but also from other places in our beautiful country. After that, it will be moved to the center of Prague, where the paintings of the charming landscapes will be exhibited until the end of the year at the Jaskmanický Gallery on Politických vězňů Street. During the opening reception, there will be a discussion with the author and art collectors, as well as several guided tours. That will be a topic for another article.
Ivan Černý Photo: Jiří Čermák and archive
Captions:
Aleš's mother, Mrs. Jana, acting as a commentator on her son's art during the Mělník opening reception.