CZECH ARTIST Václav K. Killer

Gained his artistic education at Jaroslav Hořánek’s atelier in 1983. For many years he has been working as an art editor for magazines, later as an art director of an exclusive magazine for women.

Dozens of illustrations, drawings, mercantiles and works of typography are dated to this period. Although he discovered his life´s passion for ships and sea early in his childhood (when he was introduced to René Gregr’ s book called Rulers of the Oceans), for a long time, it was just a hobby that would later become a significant part of his artistic work.

Both ships and the sea play a major role in his work. This favorite theme of his is being elaborated not just as scenes depicting the narrative of a specific ship from the history, but also as fictional dreamlike sceneries. At times the sea itself can be in the painting only caught by a glimpse. In his work he mainly focuses on historical times, when unmapped seas were cruised by brave men on sailing ships.

Though his interests in historical periods are much wider, ranging from the era of Christopher Columbus up until the beginning of the twentieth century, in which the power of the wind has been replaced by the power of a steam engine. Another significant passion often reflected in his work also related to the sea motif is history of the Austro-Hungarian navy, which is to these day almost forgotten.