The journey of Pavel Sequens (born in 1989) who comes from Benešov region, to the painting canvas, was not entirely simple and short. He devoted himself to drawing and painting from an early age, but despite studying graphics at the Hight School in Kolín, he diverted from creative line of work for some time. It was not until the autumn of 2014 that his first oil painting was created, and since then he has been devoting himself fully to this direction. As a painter, he has had several solo and group exhibitions and his paintings are part of many private collections. At the same time, he is the founder of the UMBRA art association (founded in the summer of 2021), which brings together painters who pursue a style similar to his.
Pavel’s work is based on the technique of oil painting, which, thanks to the necessary drying of the individual layers, gradually reflects new and new perceptions that create the final form of the painting. He also uses experimental elements, such as old paper, sand, etc.
He thematically focuses on the dark sides of human nature and activities, but he also enjoys quirky humor, which is often displayed between the lines or subliminally. As a form of communication, he uses the figure and the human body in a realistic form with elements of deformations or looser elements.
The most important aspect for him is the atmosphere, its capture and impact on the spectator. It is the human figure that helps him significantly to capture and pass on an idea or feeling and thus serves as his way of communication.
These words help us comprehend his way of expressing specific topics and how to interpret them: “Nothing is as negative as it may seem. It just depends on your point of view…”
Pavel Sequens (1989), a painter from Benešov region, has been devoted to drawing and painting since an early age, but despite studying graphics at the Vocational School in Kolín, he temporarily distanced himself from creative work.His first oil paintings were created from the fall of 2014 inspired mainly by the Polish representative of modern surrealism Zdzisław Beksiński. Since then, he has fully dedicated himself to this direction, gradually developing his own unique style over time.
As a form of communication, he uses realistically rendered figures with distinct surrealism helping him capture and convey ideas, atmospheres, or feelings. His greatest inspiration is the inner world behind closed eyes. Similar to dreams, his paintings often involve the fragmentation of reality or the merging of actors with their surroundings. A characteristic feature is also the intentionally ambiguous interpretation of motifs - the author's ambition is, on the contrary, to encourage the viewer to develop their own imagination. This is why the characters in his paintings often have their eyes covered - they can reveal too much, and by covering them, the author gives the viewer broader possibilities of interpretation.
The combination of realistic depiction and disruptions, sometimes bordering on abstraction, creates curiosity in the viewer. The images thus act as a puzzle, challenging interpretation through small clues. These clues can include Latin titles of the paintings, for example. However, the solution to the puzzle is not singular, each viewer can find their own.
How to approach the author's work is hinted at by his words: “Nothing is as negative as it may seem. It's just up to you from which angle you look...”
text by Vojtěch Fiala, curator of the exhibition “Lost Identity” on June 15, 2022.
