Parallel Arrivals [exhibition opening]

Throughout their practice, Jitka Exler and Jan Kabzan reject postmodern relativism and embrace painting as a deeply personal, expressive act. Rooted in American abstraction, Exler’s work unfolds across painting, material, and form, while Kabzan’s canvases reflect nature’s vibrations and frequencies.

Alongside her independent artistic work, Exler contributed for many years to the creation of Sesame Street and Jim Henson’s The Muppets, for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Costume Design.

The exhibition is a tribute to the continuity of artistic vision in a world increasingly dominated by digital imagery. Curated by Vilém Kabzan.

Jitka Exler (b. 1959, Karlovy Vary) studied art in Prague and worked at the Bratři v tričku animation studio. After signing Charter 77, she faced persecution and fled Czechoslovakia in 1980, settling in New York.

In the U.S., she began working with Jim Henson’s company, attended Muppet University, and spent eight years on the Sesame Street team, earning an Emmy nomination. She designed acclaimed toys and puppets for major companies such as Disney and Mattel, and also created her own line, Art Plush.

The New York Times compared her avant-garde puppet designs to the works of Pablo Picasso. Today, she is a full-time painter and sculptor living in New York.

Jan Kabzan (b. 1949, Bruntál) is an artist who shuns fame and creates from the heart. His works—ranging from photographs of Central Park to abstract paintings—explore hidden patterns and emotions, working with the subconscious while leaving interpretation open to the viewer. He grew up in the industrial, communist city of Ostrava, where he attended art school and developed his artistic sensibility.

Rejecting Socialist Realism, he drew inspiration from nature and the works of masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and the Czech Orphist-Cubist František Kupka. In 1982, Kabzan fled Czechoslovakia with only a suitcase of clothes, leaving behind his family and all his artworks. His life story is one of adventure, self-reliance, and ongoing artistic exploration.

Vilém Kabzan (b. 1971, Ostrava) is a curator and a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (2001, studios of J. David and M. Knížák). Before beginning his curatorial career, he received numerous international awards for creativity, including the Cannes Lion and the New York Festival. As a curator, he focuses on projects with both Czech and international artists, frequently presenting work at the Prague House in Brussels and the Kalina Gallery in Brno.

He has organized exhibitions for prominent figures such as Jiří Georg Dokoupil, with whom he regularly collaborates abroad (Venice, Denmark, Germany), as well as Magdalena Jetelová, Daniel Balabán, and Vladimír Kokolia. His curatorial portfolio spans from 2008 and includes projects scheduled through 2025.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Bohemian National Hall, 321 East 73rd Street, New York, United States

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