Long-legged women, naked or in swimsuits rub shoulders with horsemen, butterflies and landscapes with clean lines. Simplicity and efficiency are this artist key words !
As a child, Jiri Havlik used to cover every piece of paper he could find with drawings. When the paper ran out, the family apartment walls were his playground. This led him to study gilding restoration at the High School of Uherské Hradiště in Moravia (Czech Republic) before embarking on “the artist life”.
He draws his inspiration from his walks in the countryside or in the unknown cities he visits. Sometimes he even wakes up at night — an idea that crossed his mind- and suddenly he imagines a new creation. To this end, he keeps a notebook beside his bed so that he can make a quick sketch before going back to sleep.
In his work, he does not plan anything in advance. The subject he is going to paint always appears under his hand spontaneously. He is even sometimes very surprised by the result as if he was not really the author. For his creations, he often uses his old drawings and sketches-which were sometimes drawn 5 or 20 years ago ! He particularly likes to mix techniques and materials (pencil, ink, gouache, collages, metal, photography, lino engraving, dry tip...), and if the result does not satisfy him, he does not hesitate to destroy the work he has just made.
Since the dawn of time, women have inspired sculpture, painting, theatre and, more recently, cinema. Jiri Havlik, like many other artists before him, is a fervent admirer of women beauty and mystery. This is why it is a favourite theme in his work.
Due to the simplicity, style and purity of the lines, his paintings and drawings reveal part of woman beauty and hidden mysteries. For the part that's definitely hidden, it's up to you to find out.
Nicolas Sarazin
