Remnant

Jan Gemrot is one of the prominent figures in contemporary Czech figurative painting. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague in Zdeněk Beran’s Studio of Classical Painting. His technically precise work, rooted in realism, focuses primarily on the human figure, identity, the psyche and the individual’s relationship with the contemporary world. His works have been presented in numerous solo and group exhibitions and are represented in collections including the National Gallery Prague and the Aleš South Bohemian Gallery.

The painting arose from a direct experience of the Congolese landscape. Here, however, the landscape is not merely a setting; it enters directly into the human face and becomes part of its expression. The portrait of a local man merges with the vegetation, the structures of the rainforest and the light of the landscape, until the boundary between figure and environment begins to dissolve. Gemrot combines figurative and landscape principles, presenting man not as an observer of the landscape but as an integral part of it. At the same time, the Congo reveals its dual nature – a fascinating and beautiful world, yet also a harsh and impenetrable environment that transcends the individual. The tension between these opposing qualities is reflected in the expression of the face. The fragmentation and interweaving of motifs are not merely formal devices. They suggest a psychological connection between the individual and the place that surrounds and shapes him. The painting is thus not simply a portrait of a person within a particular environment, but a reflection on identity, landscape and the boundary between human beings and the world of which they form a part. 

100% of the hammer price will be donated to support the Save Elephants project.