Majka Wichnerová

(22. 8. 1946)

The academic sculptor Majka Wichnerová belongs to the best known contemporary authors of the Czech numismatics. She spent much of her life abroad, where in 1965 she followed her husband, who was a prominent scientist. After two years spent in Israel, she found a new home in Germany, where she studied the art of sculpture under professor Karl Hans Burgeff (Cologne). At that time, she had been through the studies at the Václav Hollar Art School already. For the studies in Germany she was making extra money working as a leader of an art group, which she then eventually led for eleven years. Wichnerová permanently returned to the Czech Republic to the turn of the millennium. The Hasina homeland, where she still lives and works, she however began to visit regularly since 1990. The first award in contests for coins announced by the Czech National Bank (CNB) came in 1997 – it was the title “Foundation of Charles University”. The coin was minted in the following year. Soon after she began to work on individual orders for the Czech Mint, later continued a successful cooperation also with the Prague Mint. Majka Wichnerová is a great lover of cats and also keen gardener.

INTERVIEW

Have you counted, how many medals and coins you have created sofar?

No, I have not. I neither make efforts to count them. The plaster models are piling up at my home, so I sort them gradually, some of them retaining, some others getting rid off, which I then usually regret (laughing). But you can not collect everything, my house is small for that.

But you definitely do remind yourself of the ever first coin of yours, right?…

Of course, I do. It was the Charles University coin in 1998 for CNB. Then followed the medal reminding the upcoming second millennium for the Czech Mint in Jablonec. This medal came out from a coin contest for the national bank, the design was bought then by the Czech Mint. Thus began the cooperation with the mint in Jablonec and finally with the Prague Mint three years ago. For the Prague Mint I have sofar created designs for the medals Franz Kafka, Olga Havlová, Great Moravian Empire and the Emperor Charlemagne.

In 1965, your husband and you went to Israel and after two years you left Israel for Germany. Right there you significantly developed your talent. Who was your teacher?

Ten years after leaving my country, I started studying the art of sculpture under professor Karl Hans Burgeff in Cologne. He was also an excellent medal maker, I took over from him the technique of engraving into plaster, so that in my case it is not about modelling. In 1980 I passed the exams, joined the master class of Burgeff and seven years later I became his master-student. The name of the discipline was “free plastic art in architecture”.

What made to come back to the Czech Republic?

I had my family here and my mother was sick at the end of her life, so I often commuted and took care of her. Thus I re-established my contacts and frankly speaking, it's something totally different to be at home again. The time in exile was not easy and I was overcoming the hardships thanks to the memories of beautiful hot summers with my grandmother in Hasina. Or thanks to the stays at my other grandmother´s in Trutnov. These were the memories that gave me strength, so when I could come to the Czech Republic again, it was like winning the lottery.

Another artworks prepared by Majka Wichnerová