Klára Sedlářová: body and soul—see both
SLAST by Klára Sedlářová
Klára is a Czech artist who dares to show what usually remains unseen. Her works reveal the invisible to the eye and ask if you dare look.
What is invisible and, thus, doesn’t exist for some people finds its way to our eyes in her works.
Maybe it’s time for you to see the “Body and Soul”?
But first, read her interview.
* Českou verzi rozhovoru najdete zde.
It all began in a lavatory … gosh, so many things are happening there! You make selfies and send messages you are going to regret in the morning, you meet new people and become best friends—I am a Berliner, sorry not sorry—you find a new shade of lipstick, and, in a moment of true solitude and harmony, you can encounter real art. Almost all of that happened to me at once, after I had dropped into a café where Klára Sedlářová had her exhibition, and that’s how I saw the “Body and Soul”—the painting that started the entire series—for the first time.
Her paintings got my attention by something that wasn’t visible at all and, at the same time, was definitely present. I decided to meet Klára to buy a print and ask a couple of questions about her craft. It was the summer 2025 when we first met. We spoke about womanhood, embodied emotions, art, and how they can change your perspective on the world.
Ianina: There are two types of images in this exhibition: abstract works and, let’s say, full-bodied works. Why did you choose to combine abstraction with the “Body and Soul” series?
Klára: I have always been close to abstraction because it is a very emotional and feeling-based form of creation. I also love the curves of the human body. My first exhibitions were purely abstract, but I eventually wanted to connect that with the body. I realized that even in paintings of the body, the background is essentially abstract, so it made sense to exhibit them together. Additionally, the gallery owner did not want any vulgarity, so this combination was an ideal way to present the work.
TĚLO A DUŠE by Klára Sedlářová
Ianina: Can you tell me about the first painting in the “Body and Soul” series?
Klára: The first painting is actually titled “Body and Soul,” and the entire series took its name from that original piece. It includes a work often referred to as “Aphrodite,” which was a very personal process for me. I wanted to create an abstract image while dealing with my own inner self, my values, and my struggles with self-acceptance. It was an attempt to put my entire existence and my feelings about my body directly onto the canvas. Originally, I didn’t even want to sell it because it was so personal—it was a concrete representation of myself in a collection that was otherwise entirely abstract.
Ianina: Did you end up selling that specific painting?
Klára: Yes, it was sold about six months after the opening. had several offers from men that felt “creepy,” and I refused to sell to them. Eventually, a young woman student bought it. She told me she had been thinking about the painting since the opening because it resonated with her own views on womanhood. I was very moved by the conversation we had with her. I now sell that painting as a print, because I no longer have the original.
Ianina: What do you feel and think about while you are painting?
Klára: For abstract painting, it is deeply personal. People often think you just splash paint around, but the process is difficult because you have to truly release your emotions onto the canvas. Sometimes a painting takes ten minutes; sometimes it takes years of adding layers. I try to capture a specific moment or feeling without overthinking. I view abstraction as a ritual to close a chapter of life or deal with something that has been bothering me for a long time. It isn’t always about heavy things, though. For example, I have a very cheerful, light painting called “Paprsky slunce” (Sunrays). That piece was eventually auctioned through a foundation to help a child named Kristofek who has a movement disorder.
Ianina: What inspires you the most, and how do you see the world?
Klára: When I was younger, I thought everyone saw the world the same way I did. It took me a long time to realize that my perspective was “different” and to feel comfortable with that. My partner helped me a lot by wanting to understand how I see things. My eyes are always drawn to details and things that leave an emotional imprint. I dislike superficiality and prefer to go deep into topics. My inspiration comes from a combination of what I see and what I feel. I am also constantly surprised by how my own work evolves.
Ianina: How does the process change when you are painting other people for the “Body and Soul” series?
Klára: I don’t want to paint strangers; I paint people I am close to or have built a relationship with. We talk about what the painting should represent—their values, their happiness, or their struggles. Themes like self-confidence, self-love, and family bonds often come up. Even the choice of colors is a collaborative decision between me and the model. I like to nudge people who might be hesitant to be portrayed. Often they say no at first, but they come back months or a year later when they are ready to step out of their comfort zone. It leaves a shared “imprint” of the two of us, and I hope it helps people trust and love themselves more.
Ianina: What is next for your artistry?
Klára: I don’t want to have just one style of work. I will continue with abstraction and the body, but perhaps more selectively—maybe only one such painting a year rather than a whole series. Currently, I am living full-time in nature, and I want to shift my creative focus toward nature and its details.
We met again in summer 2026, right after I completely fell in love with Klára’s new work “Slast” (Bliss/Delight), the last chapter of the “Body and Soul” series. We met at Klára’s vernissage in Brno for coffee and a talk about the last chapter of the series.
Ianina: So, tell me about this. We’re in a café called “Kelímek”, the new “art gallery near me” in Brno. What is happening here? What am I looking at this time?
Klára: This is the last painting of the “Body and Soul” series. I wanted to close the series with three women—they are people close to me. One of them is me, but I don’t want people to guess which one is which. I wanted to move it a bit further from the previous works. Those were very much about the drawing. Now, it’s a combination of a color scale.
Ianina: Do you want to tell me more about the muses?
Klára: Actually, they are the first women from Boskovice who were close to me. We connected somehow. They are the young women walking alongside me. Because they are both so ethereal, they relaxed into it, and the painting basically created itself.
Ianina: I see. It’s also very, very colourful, even the parts that seem to be black and white.
Klára: These pink, warmer colours and the femininity of the underlay really fit that. The name came from all three of us. I tried to evoke the thoughts that all three of us were having; it wasn’t just about me, but about them too. Then I let it breathe freely for about two years. I started it two years ago. Eventually, we agreed on the title “Slast” (Bliss/Delight).
Ianina: This space is decorated entirely with your paintings and it looks as if it was designed this way. How come?
Klára: The owner has a café here and in Boskovice, where I live. I already had one painting there, and then she contacted me saying she had a new space, here in Brno, with empty walls, and she told me I could use them however I liked. So, I’ve turned it into a little gallery under the management of Ms Markéta. It’s going to “mature” here. I want to keep the paintings here for a long time, eventually adding to them or changing them out. There is a large wall next to that painting we talked about, near “Slast” (Bliss/Delight); in the future, I’d like to create three large canvases for that spot to really use the potential of the space.
Ianina: It looks like you have created an authentic art gallery in Brno! What are the themes you exploring this time?
Klára: I didn’t want it to be just one theme like “Body and Soul” or just abstraction. I wanted it to be everything from within me. Some paintings are two or three years old, and some are brand new.
Art for Klára is about connection, about the core of the person. To seek it, she designed a special Ritual.
Klára calls it “Ritual for Women”, a space to indulge in conversation, homemade wine from Klára’s family winery, listen to each other, and put everything that happens on the canvas.
Check Klár’s website, buy a painting or some merch, find her next exhibition space, and go look at some souls.
Ianina, 2026