1950 – 2014Jindřich Bílek
For centuries, music and the fine arts have been accompanying man and at the same time living in mutual symbiosis. Many outstanding musicians have been able to greatly influence the visual arts in their expression, and we also know from history how many well-known painters at moments of rest reached for a musical instrument or sat down to the black-white ivory piano keys or home organ. In their souls, they were often able to transform that harmony of tones into two-dimensional images full of colours and valers.
In order to understand the work of Jindřich Bílek in all its multi-layered forms, it is very important for us to know, among other things, the artist’s origin, birthplace, roots from which he came, experiences that influenced his exploration of the world and helped him to shape his personal qualities. His precious interconnection of a life full of tones and a world of colours is undoubtedly a key point, important for knowing this distinct painter, constantly changing in his paintings.
Jindřich Bílek wasn’t definitely one of the artists whose life we could talk about in a colourful way or with a dignified pathos. although otherwise nice and friendly, in nature with a sense of humour, he himself was very careful in protecting his privacy, so he only opened himself only to his closest ones. Nevertheless, with his painting, he offers us a great opportunity to get at least a little closer to him as a human. Only in them can we investigate the uniqueness of the painter’s mental life;
He was born on September 19, 1950 in Klatovy to a family in which fine art played a large role, his father was a professional artist. Jindřich Bílek graduated from the local grammar school and as he was intensely keen on music since his youth, his parents decided he should devote himself to music for all his life, so they directed him to the Prague Conservatory, where he studied cello. In one interview, he admitted years later that he had virtually no time for fine art thanks to his intensive study. It was only after the conservatory that he devoted himself to painting more and more to find out that God was probably more generous in giving him his artistic talent He studied fine art at the Faculty of Education in Pilsen, which “technically put him on his feet”; this was extremely important for him.
In his professional life he was able to interconnect both fields by his exceptional talent and today he is one of the leading personalities of the West Bohemian region. For years he worked as a music teacher at the Elementary Music School in his birthplace in Klatovy. Here he also lived and had an atelier without embezzling his pupils, with whom he devoted himself intensively to music. He played in a quartet, in an orchestra, performed at his own vernissages or those of his friends’ exhibitions, but he exhibited himself as well.
Not only in many other galleries, especially in West Bohemian towns, but also abroad. Over the years, he has presented his work at almost a hundred solo and group exhibitions in the Czech Republic, in Germany mainly in Bavaria, which was almost at his fingertips from his hometown in Klatovy. He also exhibited in Austria, Holland, France and shortly before his death he also had an exhibition in Monaco in Monte Carlo. At home in the Czech Republic, he regularly participated in the extremely prestigious parade of the Týn nad Vltavou Courtyards, where he represented the entire Pilsen Region as a painter. He himself initiated a number of joint exhibitions of Klatovy artists, which would have never been organized without him: they exhibited in partner towns in the Netherlands in Heemskerk, and in addition twice in Germany, in Cham and Sulzbach-Rosenberg, he also succeeded in Besancon, France, where his work received very positive feedback. Then he was the only artist to represent Czech fine art at the International Exhibition in Marseille 2012. He was also selected by an expert jury as a distinguished Czech artist to participate in an exhibition in Chisinau, Moldova, which brought together distinguished artists from 34 countries.
However, 2012 was a turning point for his work. In that year he went even further, to Mecca of all painters, to France. In spring, he first exhibited with great success twice in Nancy, the second largest city in Lorraine. In March, he held his first exhibition there, at the University Library and only a month later he repeated his success at an exhibition downtown, in the Cultural Centre. His work attracted the attention of art experts and art connoisseurs that he was selected by the expert committee as the only Czech artist to represent with his painting “Dance – Beasty” contemporary Czech art at the major international exhibition in Marseille 2012. The exhibition was organized by the City Hall of Marseille on the occasion of the 88th International Fair at the newly opened Palace of Arts and, in addition to paintings, artists from more than 30 countries also exhibited sculptures, mosaics and photographs. And it was in France that they already highly appreciated his work. The success was so significant that a year later, when the exhibition “Colour on the Street” opened in Pilsen, the representative of the Honorary Consulate from Marseille came to personally support Jindřich Bílek. And in recognition of the painter’s work, she announced him very pleasant information that in 2013 it will be him who will represent the Czech Republic in Marseille with his paintings. Unfortunately, we do not know, how successful the already discussed exhibition in Paris would have been. It remained only in the preparatory stage, because the promising developing world, life and creative career of the painter suddenly closed. On the 2nd November 2014 Jindřich Bílek died unexpectedly.
Jindřich Bílek was a member of the Union of Fine Artists of the Pilsen Region and of the Association of South Bohemian Artists, as well as of the creative Pilsen groups P89 and ART KT.
In his hometown he cooperated with the Municipal Office in Klatovy and the Art Gallery Klatovy- Klenová. He also organized several joint exhibitions and creative events.
Jindřich Bílek devoted himself to drawing and especially intensively to painting, which played an important role in his work. Although he began in the traditions of Czech modernism, as we have already mentioned, as a landscape painter, he soon set out on his own path, full of feelings and experiences. He expressed the mood of the moment both with his music, as an acknowledged cellist, but just as well he managed to take a brush and immerse himself in his feelings and reach not only the listeners but also the spectators. Cello itself produces a rich and powerful sound, which in some positions can evoke even a human voice in the audience. It is not surprising, therefore, that he gradually became more and more involved in figural painting, which eventually became the dominant component in his work.
SOLO AND GROUP EXHIBITIONS
- 1997 – Solo exhibition, Neutraubling City Hall, Germany
- 2002 – Solo exhibition, Gallery Eva Priller, Passau, Germany
- 2004 – Solo exhibition, Gallery Godov Fortress, Prague, Czech Republic
- 2004 – Group exhibition, Sulzbach – Rosenberg, Germany
- 2004 – Solo exhibition, Passau – Neunburg, Germany
- 2004 – Solo exhibition, Freyung, Germany
- 2005 – Solo exhibition, Pilsen City Hall, Czech Republic
- 2005 – Solo exhibition, Oberbank, Wells, Austria 2005 – Solo exhibition, Domažlice, Czech Republic
- 2006 – Group exhibition, Museum Klatovy, Czech Republic
- 2006 – Solo exhibition, Bad Kötzting, Germany 2006 – Group exhibition, Zwiesel, Germany 2006 – Group exhibition, Trnka ́s gallery, Pilsen, Czech Republic
- 2006 – Solo exhibition, Gallery Dürbeck, Straubing, Germany
- 2007 – Solo exhibition, Deggendorf, Germany 2007 – Group exhibition, Sulzbach – Rosenberg, Germany
- 2007 – Group exhibition, Weiden, Germany
- 2007 – Solo exhibition, Zwiesel, Germany
- 2007 – Group exhibition, Zwiesel, Germany
- 2007 – Solo exhibition, Gallery Dürbeck, Straubing, Germany
- 2010 – Group exhibition, Nabburg, Germany
- 2010 – Solo exhibition, Pielenhofen, Germany
- 2011 – Group exhibition, Vltava art backyards, Týn nad Vltavou, Czech Republic
- 2011 – Solo exhibition, Gallery of Jiří Trnka, Pilsen, Czech Republic
- 2011 – Group exhibition, Intersalon AJV, Písek, Czech Republic
- 2011 – Solo exhibition, Gallery Netopýr, Žihobce, Czech Republic
- 2011 – Group exhibition, Wenzenbach, Germany
- 2011 – Group exhibition, Gallery Eva Priller, Passau, Germany
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Mainburg, Germany
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Neustadt, Germany
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Weidhaus, Germany
- 2012 – Solo exhibition, Bad Kötzting, Germany
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Trnka ́s gallery, Pilsen, Czech Republic
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Church of Saint Bartholomew, Pilsen, Czech Republic
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Freising, Germany
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Klatovy, Czech Republic
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Beroun, Czech Republic
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Vltava art backyards, Týn nad Vltavou, Czech Republic
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Zwiesel, Germany
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Viechtach, Germany
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Bayrischzell, Germany
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Sokolov, Czech Republic
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Pilsen, Česká republika
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Marseille, France
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Furth im Wald, Germany
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Schönsee, Germany
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Intersalon Písek, Czech Republic
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Distelhausen, Germany
- 2012 – Group exhibition, Gallery Růžička, Mnichov, Germany
- 2012 – Solo exhibition, Nancy, France
- 2012 – Solo exhibition, ARTisti&Co, Bratislava, Slovakia
- 2013 – Group exhibition, City castle, Průhonice, Czech Republic
- 2013 – Group exhibition, Pilsen, Czech Republic 2013 – Group exhibition, Carlsbad, Czech Republic
- 2013 – Group exhibition, Group P89, Klatovy, Czech Republic
- 2013 – Group exhibition, Domažlice, Czech Republic
- 2013 – Solo exhibition, Kulmbach, Germany
- 2013 – Group exhibition, Gallery Kuns(t) räumegrenzlos, Bayerisch Eisenstein, Germany
- 2013 – Group exhibition, Chisinau, Moldova
- 2013 – Group exhibition, Passau, Germany
- 2013 – Group exhibition, Viechtach, Germany
- 2013 – Group exhibition, Zwiesel, Germany
- 2013 – Group exhibition 2014 – Solo exhibition, MKZ Uničov, Czech Republic
- 2013 – Solo exhibition, ARTisti&Co, Prague, Czech Republic
- 2014 – Group exhibition, Pilsen, Czech Republic
- 2014 – Solo exhibition, Prague, Czech Republic
- 2014 – Group exhibition, Gallery Klatovy / Klenová, Czech Republic
- 2014 – Group exhibition Chvaly Castle, Prague, Czech Republic
- 2014 – Solo exhibition, Regensburg, Germany
- 2014 – Representative exhibition, Monte Carlo, Monaco
- 2017 – „In Memoriam“, Zwiesel, Germany
- 2019 – „In Memoriam“, Orchard Gallery, Ostrava, Czech Republic
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