Kirin II
Heres Jan
Kirin II, 2024
70 x 70 cm
acrylic on canvas
Kirin was the first painting I did after returning from my internship in Taiwan, based on one of the drawings I made there. Kirin is a mythical creature of Chinese mythology, with scaly skin, the body and hooves of a horse or deer, a dragon's head and a bear's tail. Like the European unicorn, it symbolizes longevity and good luck. It was painted on objects used by the emperor. In Taiwan, it can be seen in many temples. J. H.
"...In the paintings we find, among other things, a guardian lion, the mythological animal Kirin, which symbolizes happiness and longevity, or terrifying statues of angry Nii warriors - the Buddha's protectors from evil. The individual motifs, as well as the complete exhibition series, are interwoven with Buddhist teachings, but do not attempt to be mere banal illustrations of the faith. Heres uses the symbolism of specific motifs, working with moral allegories, combining them with his own imagination and surreal moments. The layers of spirituality or the vision of humanity can thus be seen in the context of contemporary socio-political moods and situations. Part of the text for the exhibition: M. Stolárik"
About the artist
born in 1992, St Gallen, Switzerland
Education:
2015 – 2016 Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, Czech Republic, Painting Studio I of prof. Jiří Sopko
2014 – 2015 Indonesian Institute of the Arts, Yogyakarta, Painting studio
Scholarships and residences:
2022 Residence in Miami, THINK + feel contemporary Art Gallery, USA
2023 House of Menander, The Chemistry Gallery, Praha
2022 Bite Back, Galerie Felixe Jeneweina, Kutná Hora
Group Exhibitions:
2024 Art Prague, Youngrealart, Clam-Gallasův palác, Praha
2024 Art in Libeň, Jan Heres, Hana Sommerová, Petr Gruber, Tomáš Honz, Marta Gruber, David
Kolovratník, Galerie Beseder, Praha
2024 Spřízněni volbou, The Chemistry Gallery, Galerie Portheimka, Praha
2024 So Close, Yet So Far Away, Jan Heres, Laura Limbourg, Markéta Kolářová, THINK+feel
Contemporary, Miami, Florida
2023 Art Prague, Youngrealart, Clam-Gallasův palác, Praha
2023 Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Jan Heres, Martin Kačmárek, Dominika Kováčíková, Jan Soumar,
DOT. Contemporary, Bratislava, Slovensko
2023 One Man's Ceiling is Another Man's Floor, The Chemistry Gallery, Dům Radost, Praha
2023 Dragon Fruit, Jan Heres, Laura Limbourg, Markéta Kolářová, Kampus Hybernská, Praha
2023 In Arte Voluptas, The Chemistry Gallery, Galerie Portheimka, Praha
2022 (UN) Attainable Light, THINK+feel Contemporary, Miami, USA (with Filip Švehla)
2021 Finalist of the 14th Price of Art Critics for Young Painting, Galerie Kritiků, Prague
2021 Rainbow in the rain, Art library of the Municipal Library in Prague
2020 Lovekill, Jan Heres a David Mazanec, Brandýs nad Orlicí
2020 Art Prague Fair, Youngrealart, Prague
2020 Real Dreams, Nová síň, Prague
2019 Unconsciousness, Galerie ŠČigol, Prague
2017 New Wave - Diploma work exhibition 2017, National Gallery in Prague
2016 In Half: Adéla Lustigová and Jan Heres, Via Art Gallery, Prague, CZ
2014 I Walked Past an Apple Tree, Nakladove nadrazi Zizkov, Prague, Czech Republic
2013 The World Around Us, The National Technical Gallery, Prague, Czech Republic
2013 12th ESID - Welcoming of Prague's Spring, K4 Gallery, Prague, Czech Republic
2012 Twelve Years of the Painting Studio of doc. Michael Rittstein, Embassy of the Czech Republic in Wienna, Austria
2012 Figurama, Gallery of Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic
Appraisement:
2021 Finalist of the 14. Price of Art Critics for Young Painting, Galerie Kritiků, Prague (CZ)
