menu artists architects Alfons Mucha (1860 - 1939) He was a famous art nouveau painter, decorative artist, sculptor and designer. He was born in 1860 in Ivančice, which is not far from Brno. Mucha used to work in France and in the USA where he was recognised as the best decorative artist. His most remarkable works are considered the following: the poster for the theatre piece Gismonda for Sarah Bernhardt, who was a well-known Paris actress, then the design of the bank notes and post stamps and the interior of the St.Vitus Cathedral. The most important, however, was his life-work the Slav Epic which concludes the history of the Czech nation and can be easily seen in the Trade Fair Palace in Prague. František Kupka (1871 – 1957) Kupka was a painter and graphic artist who was born in Opočno and who became one of the founders of the abstract art movement. The Orphism or Cubic Orphism developed partly as a result of the connection between the music and the art in his work. As an illustrator and poster painter he spent some time in Vienna and Paris. In France he voluntarily signed up for a duty in the army. He served as a sergeant, later as a captain and he was even appointed an Officer in the Légion d‘Honneur. In his work he advanced from the realism to pure abstraction. Among his most famous creations are considered following: Amorpha, Around a point and Study for Organization of Graphic Motifs. Jan Kaplický (1937 - 2009) Czech architect who emigrated and lived for a long time in the United Kingdom, where he floated a design office called Future Systems. He is one of the architects who combined the form of so-called high-tech futurism and organic architecture inspired by natural shapes. He strove for realization of his design of the National Library building on the Letná hill, but eventually he did not succeed. He was awarded the Stirling Prize for the construction of the Lord‘s Media Centre in London. Kaplický was also helping with a design for the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Besides these, he worked on the projects such as Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari or the Selfridge building in Birmingham. Eva Jiřičná (1939 ) Jiřičná is one of the great Czech architects. She had a relationship with Jan Kaplický. Being a native of Zlín she designed the building of the Tomas Bata University. In Prague she has her own architect office AI Design Praha and in London she owns the architectural and design practice Eva Jiricna Architects. In addition to designs of buildings Eva Jiřičná works with designs of bridges. In spite of living in London for a long time she considers herself as a native of Zlín and it is Zlín where she received her PhD degree in 2011. Her best known works are considered to be, for example, the Port of Brighton, the Dancing house and the Church of St.Anna both in Prague, or the Victoria and Albert museum and the North Woolwich footbridge in London. She is a member of the Order of the British Empire.