Oskár Čepan

Monika Pascoe Mikyšková received her master’s degree at the Painting Studio +– XXL, where she also completed her doctoral studies in 2014. In 2004, she had a scholarship at Roxy Walsch's studio at Newcastle University (Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK). In 2020, she received a scholarship from the NOVUM Foundation, in 2015 an award in the solector selection prize category within the Essl Art Award CEE and, in 2007, the 3rd place in the VÚB Painting competition. In individual exhibitions, she presented her work at, inter alia, the Arosita Gallery in Sofia (Bulgaria) with a presentation Natural Environment (2021), or at the group exhibition Calm / Still Life (2021) at the Tsekh Gallery in Kyiv.

Statement

"My drawings are based on observing actual plants, though, ultimately, they always reflect my inner female world. They reflect the places I have visited, just the shapes are distorted, and the colours do not correspond to the reality. They are odd, similar to Nehemiah Grew's drawings: though no longer relevant in the world of science, they remain impressive. My work is not political in terms of activism. Yet, since nature is one of my main inspirations, I do care about its protection, and I support all environmental activities that seek to change the current climate situation. I also think that my work is based on women's experience in contemporary world,” Ms Pascoe Mikyšková expounds on her work.

Curatorial statement

„Monika Pascoe Mikyšková’s painterly practice oscillates between ideas of painting as sculpture and painting as an archaeological medium. Embodying the role of a visual botanist, Mikyšková takes inspiration from Nehemiah Grew, an English botanist who was the first to reveal the inner structure and function of plants. Her paintings remind us of the beauty of the natural world and act in support of the importance of our environment. Her technique is both detailed and subtle, mirroring the complexities and fragility of plants. The free-standing structure installations caught the attention of the jury in their ability to reimagine the notion of painting as sculpture as well as recreating fictional gardens within the context of a museum. In a way, Mikyšková’s paintings are a call to action for our environment: “My work is not political in the sense of activism, but as nature is one of my main inspirations I care about its protection and I strongly support all environmental activities that are trying to change the current situation in the world.” - Amira Gad