Jan Culek
This is the artist profile of Jan Culek.
Was born in the north of Czech Republic. Started with bonsai in early age of 10 years, when found a first bonsai book in grandma´s library. During the time he graduated his study in 2010 (history of art, painting and drawing, art pedagogy) started to be more and more focused into bonsai. Thanks to Václav Novák who became to be his first mentor, Jan started to intensively work on the bonsai techniques and experimented with his own trees as well as tried to find any chance to be in contact with trees and bonsai of all kinds. From that moment he also started to experiment in a field of man made stones and slabs which gradually leaded to evolved high quality products with unique character and esthetic. In spring 2016 he established the brand Jan Culek Bonsai and started to work as a full time bonsai artist and producer of stones and slabs together with his partner Martina. Jan´s bonsai works or rather "tree design" would be characterized as a mixture of the theoretical knowledge about the esthetic principles and art as well as the focus of practical and technical approach which is well executed in every newly worked tree or stone.
Demo by Jan
Some of Jan Culek's Bonsai trees
Bonsai by Jan Culek
More information
Jan was (and still is) very involved in rock climbing which became one of the biggest inspirational source for his rock planting creations.
He travel a lot across the globe to be available to his clients and students but also started to build his own garden located in the north of Czech republic which will be open for every bonsai enthusiast who seek a creative approach in bonsai.
He love to work with all kind of trees and believe that every tree can be beautiful, it is just a matter of dedication, creativity, time and technic.
Jan is constantly seeking new bits of approach to bonsai which deviate from a typical widely known model of doing bonsai.
Work with broad tree species, European native trees as well as with imported species from Asia, which is a must for a highly performed bonsai professional. But starts to be more and more involved in to the European indigenous species. Jan was (and still is) very involved in rock climbing which became one of the biggest inspirational source for his rock planting creations.
He use a lot of Japanese technics for cultivating and styling trees but the results of the work not necessarily follow the traditional Japanese model of doing bonsai. The rich European western culture and art, especially landscape painting and baroque sculpture is a vast inspiration for Jan´s work and he feels himself as an artist who would love incorporating more and more of the post modern and contemporary artistic approaches to the bonsai art.
Contact information
Location: Czech Republic
Email: info(at)janculekbonsai.com
Website: janculekbonsai.com
