Jitka Válová (Kladno, 1922–2011) created her first “poured drawings” in the 1960s. She returned to this technique in the 1980s, exploring and developing it further. Although some of Válová’s poured drawings are figural compositions, she primarily used the method to capture the experience of listening to classical music (not only Janáček, but also Beethoven and Dvořák). It allowed her to visualize rhythms which had a particularly powerful effect on her as a listener. These linear compositions tend to be conceived horizontally, like a musical score. They gradually evolved from black-and-white pieces to compositions on a coloured background. The poured drawing technique enabled Válová to capture a moment, a feeling that can never be repeated, full of tremulous fragility and dramatic contrasts at the same time. The drawings which the gallery received as a gift from the estate of this remarkable Czech artist are a heartfelt commemoration of two exceptional creative personalities and their legacy.

Curator: Jiří Jůza
Text: Jiří Jůza
Translation: Christopher Hopkinson
Graphic design: Katarína Jamrišková
Promotion: Jana Malášek Šrubařová, Magdaléna Staňková

Gallery of Fine Arts in Ostrava