CGD23

Since studying at the studio of illustration and graphics at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, Lucie Lučanská has become a major figure on the Czech illustration scene, but she had not had the chance to try her hand at such a large project yet. Lučanská’s style combines a certain rawness with a strange, occasionally naive and fragile sensitivity which, along with her direct citations from medieval visual culture and the works’ naiveté, do not easily fit into the Czech mainstream. Lucie’s illustrations are certainly not made to fit aesthetic standards – she consciously works with a personal anti-aesthetic style, unusual compositions, sometimes even brutal reduction. The viewer often comes to appreciate her drawing bravura and deft sensitivity (especially for natural motifs) only on closer inspection and reflection.

The original Kniha vnímání (Book of Perception) was made as a dissertation work which focused on connecting book illustration with the theme of sensory perception. In five chapters dedicated to human senses, the author narrates a simple story for (mostly) children about walking through the forest – but in five different ways, coming to develop five different visual languages which express the perceptual differences of the five senses. Each chapter is illustrated in a different style and using different techniques, but the whole manages to stay compact and feels organic. Lučanská’s book thus shows the author’s sensitive nature and taste for innovation at their best. The childish illustrations and aesthetics furthermore fit perfectly with the narration of the child protagonist.

The second project for which Lučanská earned her nomination is a series of illustrations for the Gallery of the Central Bohemian Region. She has been collaborating with the institution on a regular basis and her illustrations for the visual presentations of events – like the Jaro design, Museum Night Festival, and Advent design – offer a very playful dance on medieval themes and various visual motifs and melodies. Certainly not something we regularly see on posters advertising regional cultural institutions. Lucie Lučanská is certainly a strong personality on the Czech art and illustration scene, but her expressive means also show a finely honed sensitivity. She certainly deserves recognition, not only for the aforementioned projects but also for other smaller works from last year whose quality and originality is beyond question.

Barbora Müllerová