The Ecstasy – one of the first sculptures I created inspired by the yoga asanas. It was inspired by the yoga asanas and tried to express my experience through the composition and conception of the work. A shift in composition towards the inner imagery of feeling in the realization of yoga, along with the principles of figuralism. The work is part of a kind of triptych – a group of three sculptures – The Catharsis, The Meditation, and this particular sculpture – The Ecstasy.

Photos: Ivan Pinkava

One of the first works to be inspired by yoga, but also inspired by themes from history. The sculpture symbolizes catharsis in many forms and expressions, both physical purification and spiritual or mystical. I always enjoy adding some other element to the sculpture that can enliven the work, but is also a form of a kind of readymade. I mostly now deal with the eyes of the sculpture, but I used to be fascinated by the hair as well. Here the hair is a symbol of protection, but also of impermanence and vanity. In the realization of the work, I applied for the first time the system of multiple models – more than ten girls posed successively during the modeling. In the course of the work, I thus “confirmed” some contemporary research on the search for the so-called ideal of beauty based on digital information, which in its conclusions basically stated the principles of average characteristics and typology. During the first presentation of the work, while still a student, I realized a performance that also emphasized the belonging of the creator to the work. In later works, I gradually moved away from performance as an artistic expression and instead focused on the viewer’s interaction with the finished work.