Petra Lamačová - Čánská

(27. 5. 1983)

The artist Petra Lamačová is yet another exceptional young talent in Czech numismatics. In 2011 she graduated at the Academy of Fine Arts and travelled to India and Nepal for four months. After her return she worked as a teacher at the Secondary School of Applied Arts in Jablonec nad Nisou, where she taught history of fine arts and art subjects. Afterwards she started to teach also at the local Higher Technical School, where she specializes in coin and medal production. Her absolutely first produced coinage was a medal commemorating the glass-making settlement of Kristiánov, it was her graduation project at the Higher Technical School. Her first works for the Prague Mint were the Luck medallion and a commemorative medal on the centenary of the death of writer Zikmund Winter.
Petra Lamačová was born in Jablonec nad Nisou. She is interested in graphic work and its techniques (she was on a study stay at the graphic studio of the Academy of Fine Arts). She is also a passionate traveller and likes getting to know new places, new people and foreign cultures. She has visited a range of countries not only in Europe but also in Africa and Asia. Since April 2013 she has been on a maternity leave but she still tries to devote herself to numismatic work, in particular for the Prague Mint.

INTERVIEW  

Have you got any clearly defined historical period which is your source of inspiration?
It is difficult to point out to a single historical period which interests me and inspires me. From the point of view of general art history, and not solely from numismatic history, it is maybe the Renaissance, or possibly antiquity. As every period has its great figures, I will mention names of artists. I like works by Bernini and Caravaggio in the Baroque, as well as works by the sculptor August Rodin, a contemporary of realists and impressionists.

Which professors influenced you most in your field?
Regarding my work on medals I was influenced by several people. To name just a few, I can mention Mr Jiří Dostál and Mr Koňák at the Secondary School of Applied Arts and the Higher Technical School in Jablonec nad Nisou. At the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague I was influenced by professor Jan Hendrych with Doc. Milada Othová. And I must not forget professor Jiří Harcuba, to whom I owe a lot. He was an opponent of my thesis at the Academy. I had the honour to have consultations with him. He gave me much of his philosophy on medals and also on life.

Will you tell us which coinage pleased you most?
I was most pleased with a medal commemorating the first woman in space, that is, Valentina Tereshkova. The title is a part of the Event Calendar programme 2013.