On the last day of June, the R2020 Gallery in České Budějovice will open an exhibition of new sculptures and light paintings by the České Budějovice sculptor and artist Michal Trpák, along with the launch of a book titled Stone and Element. The exhibition is taking place on the occasion of the artist’s fortieth birthday, which he celebrated in February this year. He will present his new work based on light paintings, in which people’s stories unfold, sometimes in compositions captured in the studio, sometimes in the exterior. All works are connected by the theme of stripes, which are the main expressive element and motif.

Thanks to this theme, the paintings and reliefs alternate between light passing through fused glass (sintered shards) and lasered metal. Each painting was first created as a painting, which was then converted into computer graphics and vectors and transferred to sheet metal by laser. The resulting effect is a light image or relief capturing the subtlety of the drawing in raw steel in contrast with the fragile glass.

The exhibition will also present new sculptural work by Michal Trpák. The object is again built from sheets of metal, which alternate free space and matter in a grid, creating the effect of partially transparent sculptures.

Michal Trpák also gave himself a gift for his jubilee in the form of a book called Stone and Element, which presents his work from his student work to the present. The stories of the sculptures were first captured with a pen by Markéta Pilátová and then transcribed on a computer. The final graphic form of the book was added by Martin Šimánek, and the text form was refined and the book was published by publicist and publisher Zdenko Pavelka. The book will be ceremonially presented and christened at the opening of the exhibition.

The exhibition will be introduced by Michal Trpák and the book will be introduced by writer Markéta Pilátová and publisher Zdenko Pavelka. Musical accompaniment during the opening will be provided by the Sving duo Avalon with a guest.

The exhibition will be held at the R2020 Gallery, Rabenštejnská 2020 Cultural Center, Panská 207/4 České Budějovice until September 5, 2022.