Hlavní stránka Info portálu ZČU

The award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement for Artists Under 30 was awarded to PhD student Dayana Grigoryan for the graphic and technical design of the book Prolínání (Intermingling), which was created as her thesis on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of St. Lazarus Hospice. "When we chose the topic for my thesis, I knew right away that I wanted to create an original book on a social issue. I always try to work on projects that I would like to read myself. For me, a social project is an opportunity to make a difference in society through graphic design. I teamed up with St. Lazarus Hospice at the end of 2022 and made it happen. The book has been printed in 500 copies and is available to the public," comments Dayana Grigoryan on the creation of the book Prolínání (Intermingling).

"My goal with this book is to raise awareness of the importance of hospice care in our society, to promote understanding and empathy for patients and their families, and to help break down the stigmas and taboos associated with death and dying. The collaboration with St. Lazarus Hospice was born out of my interest in the topic and desire to create a meaningful publication that would have a real impact and benefit. I hope to provide readers with a deeper insight into the topic and encourage a more open and sensitive approach to the discussion of death and dying," the author concludes. You can see more of Dayana Grigoryan's work at this link.

Ditta Jiřičková, Head of the Graphic Design and Digital Media Studio, won the Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement for Artists Over 30 for her projects Santini Immortalis and Second Service, which she worked on together with her students. The former was inspired by the work of the brilliant architect Jan Blazej Santini Aichel, whose 300th death anniversary was commemorated last year. The Second Service project also found inspiration in the past, but not so distant. This time the students, under the guidance of Ditta Jiřičková, looked for inspiration in the decor of porcelain mugs from the period of normalisation.

"I encourage students to dare to try, experiment and find out what might work for them in the future and in practice. That's what school is for, I give them the freedom to grow," says Associate Professor Jiřičková, describing the way of working in the studio: "I also consider the choice of assignment topics - both timeless and topical - to be important. Topics with a connection to our history, culture, and humanistic values in general."

Ditta Jiřičková's free work - abstract compositions inspired by details of photographs, musical compositions or linguistic structures - can be seen at the exhibition Ditta Jiřičková: We Are All..., which will be open from 19 September at the Ladislav Sutnar Gallery (Riegrova 11, Plzeň). The exhibition also includes a presentation of the award-winning Second Service project. We cordially invite you to the opening of the exhibition, which will take place on 18 September at 6 PM.