The world that expert in minerals, Šárka Koudelová, creates is characterized by poetic charm and a specific kind of mysticism. Not only does she tint it with a particular color scale ranging from dark blue to grey, pink and gold but also shapes its content and atmosphere. With the basic medium being painting, she also commonly employs a variety of forms, from object to installation and video art. Koudelová looks at painting from a conceptual perspective, as a certain platform, a starting point to explore crucial themes. As the artist explains: “I consider time, its passage and our non-linear perception and coping with time to be an all-pervasive subconscious theme. A painting is actually visualization thereof. All the motifs are deposited in layers of sediment and I’m only their mediator, using the smallest brush and minimal movement to record them one by one.” In this way her works integrate both aesthetic experience and the essence of human existence.

It is not by coincidence that the recurring motif of the artist’s work is that of a rare mineral with its surface formed by lines composed of ancient layers. It reappears in her work in various forms: mountain ranges, precious stones and endless ornaments of cut mineral patterns accompanied by rainbows, rays of light and other optical phenomena. Although the formula changes, the material’s essence is still apparent. From common stones to gemstones that humans have appropriated by setting them in jewellery. The influences of Eastern philosophy and ancient mythology are also evident in her work. For that matter, it was the stone in his ring that linked Prometheus forever to a rock to which he had been previously chained in the Caucasus Mountains.

Šárka Koudelová explores the key role of precious stones in the production of jewellery and its timeless link with human existence that tries to preserve itself in consciousness through jewellery in her last solo exhibition Our Bodies So Soft, Our Lives So Epic at Fait Gallery Preview in Brno (2019). The title puts in contrast the impermanence of the human body and the desire for immortality materialized in precious objects such as jewels, but also artworks. The repetitive decorated hands and feet were connected in the exhibition by a golden chain, which ran though the installation like a thread through Minotaur’s labyrinth. The stylized limbs resembled not only pendants on a beggar’s bracelet, but also votive imitations created by believers in thanks for their recovery. However, other symbolic parts of the human body appear repeatedly in Koudelová’s work, such as the eye, a symbol of sight, seeing and finding, which can refer as much to mineral hunters as to artists and their practice that is in many ways similar.

“By referring to other works of art, or rather contemporary themes and styles, I contemplate over a linear timeline on which the segment of human history is ridiculously short in relation to geological phenomena. The frequent mountain sceneries, as well as figures, architectural elements and compositions often draw on Renaissance painting [the Renaissance as an inspiration for present-day art work was the subject of Koudelová’s thesis, Všechno, co teď je a proč je quattrocento těžce contemporary, AVU, 2016 – comment by MB], or rather on antiquity.

For me, clay and sand are important living materials with an almost biblical significance. They merge with the human body, while the desert is a kind of a subconscious irrational representation of my soul,” says the artist to exemplify the theme.

The connection between Koudelová’s work and her personal life is often emphasized, and not only in relation to her frequent collaboration with her partner Ondřej Basjuk (since her marriage in 2015, the artist is often referred to by her full name, Šárka Basjuk Koudelová). Their collaboration as partners is just one of the fragments that her complex creative practice is composed of. The most prominent of these is a fondness for mineralogy, which has its roots in her early childhood. Šárka Koudelová comes from České Budějovice and at a very young age started to go to the fields around this town in South Bohemia to search for opals – an experience that was quite formative and influenced her expression through visual arts. In retrospect, it seems quite logical that she chose Pavel Dvorský’s studio of Scientific Drawing and Illustration at the Secondary School of Art and Design in Brno. The inclination towards quasi-scientific representation later became one of the key elements of her work. Her paintings, however, are more reminiscent of the dream of an alchemist longing to find the philosopher’s stone than of laboratory production. Šárka Koudelová also connects her exhibitions formally with scientific concepts. For example, her exhibition at the Gallery of Fine Arts in Cheb (2017) was called Prism, referring to the conditions that determine the angle of view, but also to a prism that breaks down light.

After her graduation from the Secondary School of Art and Design in Brno, Šárka Koudelová continued to pursue the study of art; between 2007 and 2009 she studied Book Graphics in the studio of Milan Erazim at the College of Graphics in Prague, but professionally and personally most formative for her was the Academy of Fine Arts. She studied in the studio of Graphics 2 of Vladimír Kokolia (together with her future husband) and in the studio of Drawing led by Jiří Petrboek, where she made an impression not only as an artist but also as a curator during her final exhibition based on her concept and installation for a group presentation called Pokoj pro Petrboka (2014). At the Academy of Fine Arts, she also studied painting for two years: in 2014-2016 she attended the studio of Painting 2 led by Vladimír Skrepl. In 2015 she stayed at the Vienna Academy in the Studio of Abstract Painting under Professor Erwin Bohatsch. The Austrian capital saw the presentation of her works on several more later occasions (Your Delicious Dreaming exhibition, Salon Goldschlag, viennacontemporary – international art fair represented by ZAHORIAN & VAN ESPEN galleries).

Curatorial practice is one of the other fundamental facets of Šárka Koudelová’s work. She developed her practice fully during the creation of the exhibition program of the k.art.on gallery platform under Prague Karlin studios, which she and Ondřej Basjuk ran between 2012 and 2015. Her approach shows a noticeable sensitivity to the work of other artists and an interest in different approaches to the presentation of art and its collecting. Collecting was also the main theme of an exhibition entitled Sběratelův drobnopis – Specifický vztah k realitě (OGV Jihlava, 2014) in which she explored how we relate to the world by means of conceptually selected objects.

However, the merging of artistic and curatorial practice, which is further reflected in the whole structure of the exhibition process, is crucial for her work. The blurred line between these roles was clearly apparent, for example, in the exhibition Hiystoery (Galerie 209, FaVU Brno, 2018) in which she used a text written by curator and theorist Anežka Bartlová in a video that was part of the installation. In the exhibition Horký písek mezi sandálem a nohou (Zahorian Van Espen, Prague, 2019), the artist’s own text was used as a press release, while another one written by curator Eva Skopalová was printed and displayed as part of the exhibition. In this respect, the most significant project so far is Too Close To Far (Studio Prám, Prague, 2020) which brought together artists from different parts of the world now living in Prague. “I invited seven artists to join the project, but I gave them a free hand to present their main ideas. I reacted to their works with my own objects that glued the whole exhibition together. The exhibition was accompanied by a catalogue where each of the exhibitors was given their own space. The contributions of each artist in the catalogue are visually linked by pseudo-calligraphic ‘captions’ for each of them that are also used on my brick objects. This is why I see my role as somehow bonding. This exhibition was ideal for me and it was a representation of how I understand art – not as a competition, but as a flow of related events.” The exhibition was intended as the first chapter of a three-part series in which Šárka Koudelová plans to further explore significant themes in this collective manner.

The inclusion of the painting entitled Feeling Alive Again in the auction focusing on emerging young talents from Central and Eastern Europe organized by Sotheby’s in 2020 can also be considered a great success in terms of international art trade. The canvas with the artist’s characteristic scenery was sold with only few bids. Her admiration for natural materials and their aesthetic qualities, along with the muted color palette, meets the tastes of millennials at least as defined in the context of Western culture. The interest in texture and the deceptiveness of appearance in relation to the actual qualities of fabric has been evident in the work of art school graduates across the world’s capitals over the past decade. Šárka Koudelová undoubtedly belongs on the contemporary international scene of artists oriented towards new materiality. However, her work also deals with existential implications, symbols and crucial social topics. This was evident in the aforementioned curatorial projects: Too Close To Far emphasized that it doesn’t matter where we come from or where we are at the moment, what is important is what we are doing, while the Hiystoery exhibition, using the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as an example, pointed out that who is declared the winner depends on the perspective of the narrator and their interpretation of history. Šárka Koudelová herself also categorizes Horký písek mezi sandálem a nohou as a “subliminally activist exhibition”.

Her interest in socio-political and environmental issues, which is characteristic of her whole generation as well as the following one, solidifies her position within the contemporary international art scene. It is no exaggeration to say that Šárka Koudelová’s work (artistic and curatorial) provides a well-thought-out plan, a visual guide that enables us to experience the world around us in a new way. Through the highly aesthetic aspect of her artistic production, she unveils the ephemeral nature of human existence, at the same time showing a path to eternity which in its complexity is preserved by stone as well as by art.

2020
Kolektiv autorů, ed. Šárka Koudelová: To Close To Far, Praha, 2020
ed. Šárka Koudelová: Too Close To Far, Studio Prám, 2020

2019
Julia Lara Gerke, Julia Carolin Kothe: Chains, CCA & Kunsthochschule Mainz, 2019
ed. Nika Kupyrova, Salon Goldschlag: Your Delicious Dreaming, Vídeň, 2019
Laura Amann: Our Bodies So Soft, Our Lives So Epic, Fait Gallery, Brno, 2019

2018
Eva Skopalová: Ananké, Holešovická Šachta, Praha, 2018

2016
Otto M. Urban, ed. Blanka Čermáková: Vanity Fair – Diplomanti Akademie výtvarných umění v Praze 2016
Radek Wohlmuth: Prism, GAVU Cheb, 2016
Lenka Sýkorová: Nezávislé kurátorství ve volném čase, FUD UJEP, 2016
Petra Mazáčová: Inventura, Galerie Klatovy Klenová, 2016

2020
Kašparová, Bára Alex: Šárka Koudelová a Ondřej Basjuk , In: Artikl 7/2020, str. 1
Pecháčková, Mariana: Nový Salon – Současná česká a slovenská malba bez mužů, In: A2 č.  15/2020, str. 15
Antroporary at Ján Koniarek Gallery, artreview.org, 2020, online:
https://artviewer.org/antroporary-at-jan-koniarek-gallery/

Kateřina Hovorková: Češi dobývají art byznys. Vedle Picassa či Moneta nabídne teď Sotheby's díla z Prahy, zpravy.aktualne.cz, 2020, online: https://zpravy.aktualne.cz/ekonomika/misto-picassa-a-moneta-nabidne-ted-slavna-sin-sothebys-dila/r~8aa148e6e08c11eab115ac1f6b220ee8/v~sl:808dc66d23be604c852901b46b5b4b33/

Pavel Novotný: Stát výtvarníci nezajímají, říkají manželé, jejichž díla míří do Sotheby’s, reportpremium.cz, 2020, online:
https://reporterpremium.cz/a/pCDd3/stat-vytvarnici-nezajimaji-rikaji--manzele-jejichz-dila-miri-do-sothebys?fbclid=IwAR2ZLo8MMM668MK6XsHfIVAgdMv_p5K9kqxScapM6yuikUQsf5uCccBLgCc

2019
Šárka Koudelová, Eva Skopalová: hot sand between the sandal and the foot’ by Šárka Koudelová and Eva Skopalová at Zahorian & Van Espen Prague, blokmagazine.com, 2019, online:
https://blokmagazine.com/hot-sand-between-the-sandal-and-the-foot-by-sarka-koudelova-and-eva-skopalova-at-zahorian-van-espen-prague/

Šárka Koudelová at Fait Gallery, artreview.org, 2019, online: https://artviewer.org/sarka-koudelova-at-fait-gallery/

Šárka Koudelová at Fait Gallery, tzvetnik.online, 2019, online: https://tzvetnik.online/article/sarka-koudelova-at-fait-gallery

Šárka Koudelová: Dichotomy, senneundsolche.com, 2019, oline: https://www.sonneundsolche.com/past/sarka-koudelova/

Your delicious dreaming, Eine Ausstellung von Titania Seidl, Jakob Kolb und Šárka Koudelová
Kuratiert von Nika Kupyrova, goldschlag70.com, 2019, online: http://www.goldschlag70.com/your-delicious-dreaming/

Šárka Koudelová, Too clode to far, kubaparis.com, 2019, online:
https://kubaparis.com/itoo-close-to-far/

Petra Kultová: Chaotický spektákl, který nabízí vážné otázky. Desfourský palác oživila výstava Nevšechno, Vltava.rozhlas.cz, 2019, online: https://vltava.rozhlas.cz/chaoticky-spektakl-ktery-nabizi-vazne-otazky-desfoursky-palac-ozivila-vystava-8089356

2017
Tereza Záchová: Jihlavská obsese linií a čarou, Artalk.cz, 2017, online: https://artalk.cz/2017/10/13/jihlavska-obsese-linii-a-carou/

2015
Petr Kovář: Hovuduvudo, kulturni-noviny.cz, 2015, online: https://www.kulturni-noviny.cz/nezavisle-vydavatelske-a-medialni-druzstvo/archiv/prilohy/2015/off-003-2015/hovuduvudo

2014
Lenka Sýkorová: Opulentní a efektní pastva pro divákovy smysly,rozhovor se Šárkou Koudelovou, Artalk.cz, 2014, online:https://artalk.cz/2014/05/29/opulentni-a-efektni-pastva-pro-divakovy-smysly/

Petr Kovář: Pod obojí v MeetFactory, kulturni-noviny.cz, 2014, online: https://www.kulturni-noviny.cz/nezavisle-vydavatelske-a-medialni-druzstvo/archiv/prilohy/2014/off-002-2014/pod-oboji-v-meetfactory

Wohlmuth, Radek: Šárka Koudelová, In: Art & antiques 10/2014, str. 75.)

2020
Too Close To Far, autorský projekt se sedmi hostujícími umělci, katalog vydalo Studio Prám, 2020

Šárka Koudelová: Nela Britaňáková, Artalk.cz, 2020, online:
https://artalk.cz/2020/02/10/tz-nela-britanakova/

2019Memento Me – Ondřej Basjuk, text do katalogu, vydala Galerie U Betlémské kaple, 2019

Šárka Koudelová: Merav Kamel, Halil Balabin, Artalk.cz, 2019, online:
https://artalk.cz/2019/07/19/tz-merav-kamel-halil-balabin/

Šárka Koudelová: Marie Raffn, Artalk.cz, 2019, online:
https://artalk.cz/2019/06/13/tz-marie-raffn/

Šárka Koudelová: František Novák, Artalk.cz, 2019, online:
https://artalk.cz/2019/10/31/tz-frantisek-novak/

2018
Šárka Koudelová: Néphéli Barbas / Churten Effect / kurátorka: Šárka Koudelová / Galerie Prám / Praha / 24. 10. – 31. 10. 2018, Artalk.cz, 2018, online:
https://artalk.cz/2018/10/18/tz-nepheli-barbas/

2015
Šárka Koudelová: Silvia Krivošíková / Empirikova konfigurace / k.art.on gallery / Praha / 29. 1. – 15. 3. 2015, Artalk.cz, 2015, online:
https://artalk.cz/2015/02/06/tz-silvia-krivosikova-2/

2014
Šárka Koudelová: Eugenio Percossi, Artalk.cz, 2014, online:
https://artalk.cz/2014/01/18/tz-eugenio-percossi-3/

Šárka Koudelová: Jaromír Novotný, Artalk.cz, 2014, online:
https://artalk.cz/2014/04/07/tz-jaromir-novotny-4/