Wolf in Rabbit's Clothing

Going to the theater is always a special holiday for me. The moment I enter, I can sense the mix of mustiness, sweat, tension, and quiet. I enjoy listening to the creaking seats and letting myself get carried away by the anticipation before the curtain rises. On stage, however, I don't look for the faces of actors I know. I want to get pulled into the created characters and believe their story.

This painting, 'Vlk v rouchu králičím' (Wolf in Rabbit's Clothing), is like my personal theater, a stage where I've settled accounts with the past. Hidden within this colorful, seemingly innocent group of origami-style rabbits are wolves. Into their geometric, folded forms, I have incorporated all my former acquaintances who deeply disappointed me. It is a portrayal of human natures that appear soft and gentle on the surface, but hold sharp edges within. Each colorful block, each pose, is a memory of one specific, inauthentic mask.

The entire point is that hope is born precisely at the moment when the masks fall off and we see the true face. Yes, it is difficult. But once you recognize in the theater of life that the one playing the role of a rabbit is actually a wolf, you gain freedom. Not for hatred, but for wisdom. This painting is about the hope that even if the world disappoints you, your perception will sharpen. You will gain the courage to leave that old, tired play behind and cast your life with new, authentic characters whose hearts are in the right place. The light sky and vibrant colors of the forest in the painting are, for me, a symbol of this new, clear, and hopeful beginning.