Richard Štipl

Richard Štipl (*1968) is one of the most prominent Czech sculptors, painters, and visual artists. Although he was born in Šternberk in Moravia, where he has now returned to live, he spent most of his formative years in Canada, to which he emigrated with his parents in 1979.

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It was in Toronto that Štipl studied painting at the Ontario College of Art (1988–1993), where he was awarded the Governor General’s Gold Medal for the best year-end project.

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In the early 1990s, he returned to the Czech Republic and to his hometown. He lectured at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (2010), the New York Academy of Art (2011), and until 2017 served as a senior lecturer at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague.

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His work is characterized by the juxtaposition of classical techniques with postmodern symbols, self-reflection with self-harm, and faces contorted in extreme expressions. Štipl’s sculptures and paintings depict complex situations in which different beliefs and faiths collide.

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