In this 42nd episode of the HIDDEN Podcast, we return to Hidden Gallery to meet Roman Košťál, a rising Czech painter whose current work fuses superstition, folklore, and raw emotional narrative. In an open conversation with Filip Kartousek, Roman discusses the making of his solo exhibition BAD LUCK, his approach to painting, and how old European myths still resonate in today’s world.

This episode delves into Roman’s background—his beginnings in applied painting at the Secondary School of Glassmaking in Kamenický Šenov, a two-year period in hot glass techniques, and his eventual move towards painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague under Jiří Petrbok. Roman speaks about his belief in everyday superstitions, the aesthetics of chance versus control, and his fascination with old cinema, black-and-white imagery.

The conversation also touches on broader topics like authenticity in contemporary art, the tension between intellect and emotion, and how modern artists navigate the line between concept and feeling.

conversation