Hynek Martinec Debuts at Varvara Roza Galleries with APPLECORE

Hynek Martinec's debut exhibition with Varvara Roza Galleries, APPLECORE, opens in two parts: a series of paintings at the gallery's St James's location from 30 September to 20 October 2026, and a live wall drawing at Hypha Studios on London's South Bank, viewable from 29 August to 1 October 2026. Curated by Ben Tufnell, the project explores painting in the age of AI through the symbol of the apple, addressing originality, authorship, and human creativity. Martinec, known for combining Old Master precision with contemporary philosophy, is regarded as a leading European figurative painter. His work has been shown at the Royal Academy of Arts, National Portrait Gallery London, National Gallery Prague, National Museum Stockholm, and National Gallery of Finland. In 2007, he received the BP Young Artist Award. Before APPLECORE, on 21 August 2026, a painting of Jan Palach's death mask will enter the permanent collection of the Jan Palach Memorial in the Czech Republic. The exhibition builds on ideas from his 2025 exhibition Cyberlemon at DOX Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague. Martinec's work resists hyperrealist classification, combining diverse imagery into layered, psychologically charged compositions.