AN LUCKY DAY
22. 1. 2026 - 22. 4. 2026
How can we come to terms with a life in which every day is unlucky? One answer may be humor. And there is no shortage of humor in the work of Ivo Škuta, even though his days are fraught with burdens.
The exhibition Bad Day presents a collection of works in which Ivo Škuta turns inward—to his own feelings, doubts, and existential pressures, which, however, never remain purely personal. The author conveys them through portrait and figural paintings, which function as surrogate characters for the broader experience of contemporary man, but also as an autobiographical statement. An unlucky day here is not a one-off event, but a long-term condition: a feeling of exhaustion, quiet frustration, and restlessness that has become a structural part of today's reality.
In his paintings, Škuta addresses environmental grief and ecological problems, consumer society, disrupted interpersonal relationships, midlife crisis, and the general failure of social mechanisms that were supposed to provide support and direction. These motifs are often illustrated explicitly and condensed into expressive gestures or independently expressive fragments.
Portraits, Škuta's most recent works, often appear as snapshots captured just after some internal turning point—at a moment when fatigue, shame, anger, or resignation can no longer be hidden. And their owners cannot hide them either, because a bandaged head inevitably attracts attention. Unfortunately for them, this attention lasts longer than a day.
A distinctive feature of Škuta's work is his graphic style of painting. The artist works with flatness, clearly defined contours, and simplified shapes that are close to illustration, posters, or visual symbols. His composition is layered—he creates a background and then inserts other planes into it. Color is used sparingly but emphatically, often in harmony with the original reality depicted, but never in such a way as to manipulate or transform the message and leave the viewer in the dark. On the contrary, it is a guiding form that, through a combination of acrylic, spray paint, and subtle airbrush transitions, creates tension between craftsmanship and an almost computer-precise aesthetic. This contradiction is key in Škuta's work: at first glance, the paintings appear accessible and even playful, but they carry the weight of themes that contrast with their lightness. Škuta does not create allegories; he conveys specific messages directly, and their unambiguity is further reinforced by the title of the painting itself. The title is an important part of the work and leaves the viewer in no doubt as to its content. The titles are not mere accessories, but a full-fledged layer of meaning. They often shift the interpretation, ironize the pictorial situation, or, conversely, reveal its existential seriousness. The title functions here as a second voice—sometimes cynical, sometimes vulnerable—one that enters into dialogue with the painting and expands its reading.
This feeling of internal pressure that Škuta paints is described by philosopher Byung-Chul Han as a typical state of contemporary society. In his writings, he repeatedly addresses the themes of burnout, overload, and permanent performance. Han's analysis of mental fatigue, environmental sadness, and the breakdown of authentic relationships finds a visual equivalent in Škuta's paintings. The figures in the paintings seem to bear the marks of a "fatigued society" – they are not victims of external oppression, but of internal pressure that has become invisible and all the more effective for it. Smolný den is thus not only a personal confession, but also a pictorial study of a collective state of mind. Through seemingly simple, graphically clear images, Škuta manages to open up complex questions of contemporary existence and show that a personal feeling of failure is often only a symptom of a much deeper social crisis.
The exhibition Bad Day offers viewers a space to identify with and share their discomfort. It does not seek answers or consolation, but brings a sense of belonging. Especially for those who experience Bad Days more often than is bearable.
Ivo Škuta (* 1989) was born in Frýdek-Místek. He graduated from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ostrava, where he studied in the painting studio under the guidance of doc. MgA. František Kowolowski. He currently lives and works in Ostrava.
author of the text: Bára Alex Kašparová
The exhibition is taking place at Dům Radost, nám. W. Churchilla 2, Prague 3.