Czech neo-expressionism from a Prague studio.

Born in the Czech Republic, Matěj Pekárna (b. 1998) works under the name x.tsumetai — a Japanese word for cold that he adopted as a compass for a body of work interested in what stays unspoken.

Self-taught and iteratively refined through daily practice, his paintings marry European neo-expressionist lineage with a darker surrealist undertow — recognisable figures dissolving into texture, pigment bleeding into raw canvas, paper worked until it almost tears.

Each piece begins without sketch or reference. Colour is decided at the easel; the composition emerges from decisions made in the wet paint. Works are finished on instinct — often scraped back, repainted, and signed only when the surface refuses further change.

Materials used across the collection: oil and acrylic on canvas, ink and charcoal on paper, occasional collage and found material. All originals are signed and numbered; a certificate of authenticity accompanies each shipment.

Works are held in private collections across the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.