Parasites

70% of the hammer price is allocated to support the non-profit foundation Spolu s odvahou, a member of the Bátor Tábor Family.

Jan Pištěk is among the artists who studied in the 1980s whose work in its beginnings tended toward postmodern expression. In 1987 he participated in the legendary unofficial exhibition Konfrontace VI (Confrontations VI), which brought together a whole generation of postmodern artists. Pištěk studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague in the painting studio of František Jiroudek, and he has remained faithful to painting throughout his life. He has always walked the thin line between abstraction and figure painting, seeking a balance between both methods of work. Initially his paintings made reference to archetypal symbols, while later they depicted monochromatic landscapes, the fury of the elements, macroscopic views of cosmic objects and events, black holes, and parallel dimensions as well as microscopic views of the cellular structure of life. The painting Parasites is part of the series Hidden Existence, which the artist worked on from 2015 to 2023. In this case, Pištěk turns to animal forms depicted with flowing biomorphic shapes relating to the unequal relationship between parasite and host. The painting was shown in the artist’s solo exhibition at Queen Anna’s Summer Palace in Prague Castle in 2025.