Jonáš Czesaný (1972) belongs to the generation of painters that emerged on the Czech art scene at the turn of the last century. His earliest works, dating from his time at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, where he studied under Professors F. Hodonský (painting) and V. Kokolia (graphic art), tackle the theme of landscape. He mastered the art of drawing during his graphic studies which brought him deepening interest in figures and objects. When working on his first self-contained series of paintings, the artist uses magazine and photo patterns. He creates a strangely bizarre world in which the key role is initially played by a feel for the grotesque (series Koupacky, Anthems, Black and White), sense of absurd and black humour (series Fish&Fishes], later succeeded by a greater degree of melancholy and scepticism (series Beatles). Jonáš Czesaný exhibited a selection of his paintings at a two-man show with Jakub Špaňhel at the National Gallery, Veltržní Palace, in 2005. A catalogue was published by the National Gallery to accompany the show.

For his large-scale paintings, Czesaný looks to locations near his home in Prague. Mostly portraying the modern developments and buildings in the Prague’s Holešovice quarter, he explores their specifics forms and scales (e.g. Veletržák, 2006). Using the medium of painting, he enters the “ghetto of life” as given by the circumstances and his long-term existential symbiosis with it (High-rise building, 2006). The covered territory has been “experienced”, Czesaný has spent much precious time in the area. In its detail, Czesaný's contemplation of Holešovice also echoes in the cycle Pigeons (2006). Czesaný imparts the different subspecies of pigeon with irony by the names he gives them (Plebeian, Aristocrat – both fom 2006), expressing his own individual sympathies or aversions.

1991 - 1999 AVU Praha (prof. František Hodonský, prof. Vladimír Kokolia)

2008
Bez názvu, Dům umění, Opava

2007
Holešovice, Vernon, Prague, Czech Repulic

2005
“33”, Ústav makromolekulární chemie AV ČR/ Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry (společně s P. Kožíškem), Prague, Czech Republic (katalog)

2005
Proporce/ Proportion, Vernon, Prague, Czech Republic

2005
XXL Gallery, Louny, Czech Republic
J. Spaňhel- J. Czesaný, Veletržní Palác, NG/ National Gallery in Prague, Czech Republic (katalog)

2004
Menu, Galerie Jídelna, Česká Lípa, Czech Republic
Broučci/ Beetles…, Galerie Mladých, Brno, Czech Republic

2003
PF 2003, Ústav makromolekulární chemie AV ČR/ Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Prague, Czech Republic
Fish & Fishes, galerie divadla Alfréd ve dvoře, Prague, Czech Republic

2002
Hrádek, Kutná Hora,( with J. Valečka ), Czech Republic

2007
Resetting/ Jiné cesty k věcnosti. Alternative Ways To Objectivity, Praha, GHMP- Městská knihovna, kurátor Petr Vaňous
Good Morning/ Dobré ráno, Galerie Caesar, Olomouc (katalog)

2006
Summa artis, Bruxells, Belgien
Synagoga, Český Krumlov, Czech Republic
Smíchovský podhled II, Jídelna, Česká Lípa, Czech Republic
GFJ Accession, Vlašký dvůr, Kutná Hora, Czech Republic

2005
IBCA, National Gallery in Prague, Czech Republic (katalog)
GFJ Accession, Dům umění, Ostrava, Czech Republic

2004
Ve výstavbě/ In Construction, Důl Mayrau, Kladno, Czech Republic
Smíchovský podhled, Galerie U Kamene, Cheb, Czech Republic

2003
GFJ Art Gallery, Kutná Hora, Czech Republic (katalog)

1999
Academy of Fine Arts Graduates, Karolinum, Prague, Czech Republic

NG/ National Gallery in Prague, Czech Republic
GFJ/ Felix Jenewein Gallery, Kutná Hora, Czech Republic
Private collections in CR and Netherland

2008
INtroCITY/ Nukleární rodina (katalog), Topičův salon, Praha, P. Vaňous, 2008
P. Vaňous, Resetting/ Jiné cesty k věcnosti/ Alternative Ways To Objektivity (katalog výstavy), GHMP - Městská knihovna, 21. 12. 2007 - 23. 3. 2008, nestr., Praha 2008

2007
Good Morning/ Dobré ráno (text: Petr Vaňous), Galerie Caesar, Olomouc 2007, nestr.

2005
Jakub Špaňhel/Jonáš Czesaný (text: Milan Knížák), NG Praha, Praha 2005, nestr.

Pesh, Miroslav: Dům umění plný melancholie, A2 kulturní týdeník 47/2008
Vaňous, Petr: Jonáš Czesaný - Malíř vlastního kontextu, Revolver Revue 67/2007, s. 36 - 40
Vomáčková, Klára: Ve stínu Veletržáku. Melancholický realismus Jonáše Czesaného, A2 kulturní týdeník, 9/2007, 28. 2., s. 8
Vaňous, Petr: Mezi hladinou a dnem, Revue art I/2007, s. 40 - 43
Pesch, Miroslav: Jonáš Czesaný - Broučci, Ateliér 20/2004, s. 12
Vaňous, Petr: Pod hladinou, Atelier 16-17/2003, s. 5

Jonáš Czesaný (1972), anketa Malující umělci, A2 kulturní týdeník 30/ 2007, s. 11
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