About Vratislav Pecka
Vratislav Pecka is a designer and artist from the Czech Republic. Throughout his creative career, he has found the perfect balance between expressing his creativity and fulfilling his passion through PosterLad. Vratislav’s posters do not aim to convey specific thoughts or messages; instead, their main goal is to captivate and visually please the observer. He invites viewers on a visual journey where the more you explore, the more you want to discover. Additionally, we enjoy watching the short videos of him creating these posters on his Instagram page!
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Hello Vratislav, and welcome back! Tell our audience something about you. Where did you grow up, and where do you currently work and live?
I grew up in Prague, Czech Republic. I spent a couple of years in Amsterdam and then returned to Prague, where I now live and work.
When did you realize you wanted to become an artist, and what experiences led to that understanding?
I have always been creative and I liked to play in general. After high school, I studied video editing in film school and also animation for a couple of months. Already in film school, I realized I was not the biggest fan of being just one piece of the puzzle in creating a movie, always having to accept whatever the director said. At the same time, I started making some simple graphics for my short films. Then, I did websites and branding and eventually became a freelance graphic designer. After a couple of years of that career, I was not producing anything of my own, so I started making posters for fun. And there it was. I loved making my things. That was more than 8 years ago. And 4 years ago, I decided to give it a go and went full-time. So basically, the freedom of creating things that only I can control led me to understand that I want to be an artist. I don’t want anyone telling me what I should be doing.
Tell us about your technique and what motivates you to create art.
I like to keep things simple. I want to use basic shapes and a couple of colors. With that, create something appealing to look at: it may not sound complicated, but this simple approach is the most challenging. To keep things minimal yet good-looking. Until recently, I would create graphics on my computer and send them to print once someone orders. In the last couple of months, I dived into lenticular prints, which require much more thinking about the process and lots of trial and error to see how the final artworks turn out. I enjoy everything about it. I get to combine all the disciplines I picked up over the years.
What sets your work apart?
I think it’s the simplicity, use of color, and overall style that make it unique. In terms of lenticulars, in addition to the above, not many people are doing those, so I hope this will help me stand out even more.
Which piece of your artwork best represents you?
That is a difficult question to answer, but if I had to pick one, it would be Arial. Basic colors and simple shapes—all create an odd-looking face but a balanced composition.
Who or what inspires your work?
I am inspired by anything related to geometry. I like to find beauty in geometry, and I absolutely love it when someone else is doing that.
Is there anything outside of the arts that motivates you?
I am motivated mainly by my desire to create. It’s just something that is quite strong. I’m not sure how that is going to evolve in the future, but it feels like there is a lot I still want to do and try. What motivates me in terms of my business is family. I am a father and husband, and I need to also be profitable with my art to provide for the family. But I guess that is a motivation for anyone having a family.
How would you prefer people to interact with your work?
I’d like for people to have my art in their homes, as I create my work to be used in interiors. I would like my work to brighten up any room, and for people to enjoy having it around them. I aim for my work to communicate positive vibes; hence, that is how I would like my collectors to feel when looking at my artwork.
What advice would you give someone wishing to pursue a creative academic education?
Education is excellent and essential. I would love a degree for what I am doing, but I don’t. At the same time, you need to work and create as much as possible to find your own style and artistic voice. Eventually, you will find what you enjoy, making the most of it, and after some time, you will find your unique style. It feels like many people don’t realize that there is a lot to learn and are asking me to teach them everything in a couple of online sessions. It would be great if it were that simple.
Spread the word! Do you have anything exciting coming up?
Lots of lenticular prints coming up soon. 1/1 pieces but also editions of more, likely a bit smaller artworks.
Go to my website to learn more, or stay in tune through my Instagram page >>>
