Jan Kaláb

Jan Kaláb is a contemporary Czech artist born in Prague in 1978. Today, he is renowned for his vibrantly colored abstract works and sculptural paintings that explore the relationship between surface, volume and perception. He began his career in the 1990s on the Central European graffiti scene under the pseudonyms Cakes and Point. During this period, he became one of the leading figures in Prague street art, helping to introduce graffiti into the city's public space after the fall of the Communist regime. His work was already characterized by an experimental approach to form, going beyond simple lettering to explore abstract, three-dimensional compositions. In the early 2000s, Jan Kaláb was one of the founding members of the DSK (Da Style Kids) collective, the first recognized graffiti group in the Czech Republic. He also develops innovative urban interventions, including sculptures and painted installations integrated into city architecture. At the same time as working in the public space, he took an academic art course at the Academy of Fine Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (UMPRUM). This training helped structure his gradual transition to a studio practice and a more refined abstraction. Since the 2010s, his work has moved towards abstract painting, characterized by floating organic forms, extremely precise chromatic gradations and sculpted supports. His works often go beyond the traditional framework of the painting by adopting irregular or relief formats, creating a tension between painting and sculpture. Jan Kaláb now exhibits internationally, notably in Europe, the United States and Asia. His work is exhibited in numerous galleries and contemporary art fairs, and can be found in private and institutional collections. His work is recognized for its ability to combine the energy and experimentation of graffiti with sophisticated formal research into color, perception and space.