Alena Schulz
SO THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED
I was born in Prague in 1954.
My grandmother painted, my father was a sculptor and so my career choice was not difficult. After studying at the College of Applied Arts in Prague, I began with my first small illustrations which were published in the children’s magazines Mateřídouška and Ohníček. Then came marriage, two children and emigration to Austria in 1985. With the help of my new friends in Vienna, I began exhibiting my work and illustrating children’s books to support my family.
After ten years, fate led me to a forgotten and dilapidated village called Maříž, on the Czech-Austrian border. I bought one of the ruined farmhouses with a large garden, reconstructed it and now the garden just flourishes.
In the nearby town of Slavonice I opened a café “La Petite Mort”, which became a hot spot for several years. With friends from Austria, I organized two seasons of the Festival of Independent Art and Music. Today I don´t run the café anymore but I exhibit often and joyfully keep producing more illustrations. My images can be found in books from the publishing houses Albatros, Axióma etc …
FURTHER INFORMATIONS ABOUT ALENA SCHULZ
When I’m not in the studio, you’ll find me in the garden.
See photos
Fotky: Josef Cajthaml
Exhibitions
1982
First exhibition in Prague
1983
Cultural Centre “Little House” – Prague
1987
Neue Galerie Vienna – Austria
1988
Kursalon Mödling – Austria
1987-1990
Galerie Mitte Vienna – Austria
1990
Baden, Graz, Hollabrunn, Mödling – Austria
1991 and 1992
Galerie Flieger Vienna – Austria
1996
Received the main prize of the City of Vienna for children’s illustrations for the book Die Schliefernasen und der kleine Muschel + the exhibition of paintings in Speilzeugschachtel Vienna – Austria
1999
Drosendorf – Austria
2000
Municipal Gallery – Slavonice
2002
Joint exhibition of illustrators at Design Austria, Vienna – Austria
2003
Czech Cultural Centre in Vienna – Austria
2004
Salla terrena in Mödling – Austria
2005-2016
Theater Dobeška – Prague
2006
Gallery Ten – Prague
2012
Municipal Gallery – Slavonice
2014
Salla terrena in Mödling – Austria
2015
The Guild House – Slavonice
Illustrations
During the years 1997 – 2016 I participated on more than 200 publications, children’s books and school textbooks in Austria and Germany for the following publishers:
Herder, Jugend & Volk, HPT, Ueberreuter, Jungbrunnen, Tyrolia, Veritas, Dorner, Breitschopf, Kohl, Schreiner, Kneip, Kremayr & Scheriau ….
Since 2005, I also illustrate children’s books and school textbooks in the Czech Republic.
Collaboration with the publishers Axióma, Albatros, Šulc and Švarc, Fortuna Fraus, Olympia, Triton …
DO YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT I CREATE?
With a roller I apply printing ink on a pane of glass then I place down a paper and draw. The printed image is then coloured with oil pastels and india inks.
