Artist Spotlight - Stanislav Riha — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

Biography

Stanislav Riha - Standa Visual artist, photographer and writer Member of CARFAC He was born in 1952 in Prague, former Czechoslovakia. He grew up in Lesser Town (Malá Strana), surrounded by great medieval and modern art and artists, which inspired his desire to create.
From early childhood, he enjoyed drawing and later painting; as a young man, he focused mainly on surrealism.

A passage, 2025, mixed media, 91cm x 91cm

His artistic attitude was shaped by many art clubs in childhood, followed by art training by MgA Milos Saska and work in set production of the Realistic Theatre.
In 1980, he lived for a year in Grinzing, Vienna, Austria, before moving to Vancouver, BC, Canada. Enchanted with the natural beauty of British Columbia, he dedicated the first few years to realistic nature themes and then switched to Surreal and, later, Surreal-abstract creative work.

Alchemist, 2024, mixed media, 66cm x 41cm

Exhibitions/Publications:
Over a hundred in the past ten years.

Education:
1961-1964, Open school of painting and drawing; 1967-1969,
Private studies of applied art and design; 1979-1981,
Classical hand drawing and architectural design under MgA Milos Saska in Prague,

Alchemist's vibe, 2024, mixed media, 66cm x 41cm

Artist Statement

In the last three decades, I have been creating wall-mounted, cast resin and aluminum sculptures combined with canvas and gold leaf, and exploring the computer as an art tool for creating digital artwork. All my life, I have loved to create art full of emotions and feelings, "soul," with the satisfaction of fun. I am interested in the balance and composition of colours and objects rather than the reality of the items.

Arising phoenix, 2024, mixed media, 66cm x 41cm

The direction of the last two decades has been to understand and, through artwork, express the human struggle with emotions and adaptations. For the past ten years, I have been polishing my creative work in a Surreal-abstract style. The main motto of my artistic position; Just as in a good written story or musical composition, the audience has space to create their image; in a good visual presentation, the viewers can form their account.

https://www.saatchiart.com/Standa-Riha
https://www.instagram.com/stanriha/