František Skála

1956—Praha

František Skála studied woodcarving at the Secondary School of Applied Arts in Prague (1971–1975) and film and television graphic design at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (1976–1982). He is a founding member of Tvrdohlaví (The Stubborn Group; 1987–1991) and a member of the secret organization B.K.S. (since 1974, the abbreviation stands for “The End Will Come”). His broad creative scope extends beyond the visual arts; he is a signer and musician with MTO Universal Praha and the Finnish Baroque band. He is a member of Sklep Theatre and the Tros Sketos vocal dance trio. In addition to film and theatre work, he has also co-authored several architectural projects, including e.g. the renowned interior of Akropolis Palace in Prague. He has illustrated over twenty books, many of which have won prestigious awards (Most Beautiful Czech Book of the Year award: 1984, 1989; IBBY Certificate of Honour for Illustrations: 1989, 2002, 2010; BIB Golden Apple: 2009). He has participated in over 140 collective and 50 solo exhibitions at home and abroad. In 1991 he won the Jindřich Chalupecký Award and the Arte Giovani di Europa Award. Two years later he went on to represent the Czech Republic at the 45th Venice Biennale. In 2010, he received the Ministry of Culture Award for his contribution to the visual arts.

František Skála’s works are included in the following collections:

Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague

National Gallery in Prague

Gallery of the Central Bohemian Region in Prague

Olomouc Museum of Art

Museum of Contemporary Arts, Sydney

North Bohemian Gallery of Fine Arts in Litoměřice

Benedikt Rejt Gallery – Louny

Regional Art Gallery Liberec

Gallery Klatovy Klenová

Moravian Gallery in Brno

Karlovy Vary Art Gallery