Vladimir Puhony

Vladimir Puhony, 1937–2008

Djävulens dans, 1989: a wine-red figure with pointed horns against a yellow ground.
Spegelbild, 1982: two pale bodies woven into black and deep red drapery.

About Vladimir

Vladimir Puhony was an artist and stage designer, born in what was then Czechoslovakia. After the Soviet invasion in 1968 he was forced to leave his homeland and settled in Sweden, where he built a long career in both theatre and visual art.

Painting became a place for reflection and creative joy, a counterweight to the intense pace of the theatre.

Read more about the artist

Key facts

ARTISTSTAGE DESIGNERTEACHER

where movement, the human figure and the fleeting moment stood at the centre.

  1. Name

    Vladimir Puhony

  2. Born

    27 April 1937

  3. Died

    2008

  4. Active in

    Stage design, visual art and teaching

  5. Medium and technique

    Acrylic, tempera and gouache; painting on canvas, board, plywood and wood panels

The collection

Over 200 works, painted 1968–2007

Vladimir Puhony's surviving collection comprises over 200 works in acrylic and tempera on canvas and board. 21 of them are presented here.

See the works
Älskog, 1990, a painting by Vladimir Puhony.

A life in stage design and painting

  1. 1937Born in Czechoslovakia

    Vladimir Puhony is born in Czechoslovakia.

  2. 1959Master's degree in monumental painting

    Graduates with a master's degree from the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague.

  3. 1963Master's degree in scenography

    Takes a second master's degree, in scenography, at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.

  4. 1968The move to Sweden

    Leaves Czechoslovakia after the Soviet invasion and moves to Sweden.

  5. 1969Malmö Stadsteater

    Begins work at Malmö Stadsteater; his first Swedish stage design premieres.

  6. 1977Head teacher of scenography

    Becomes head teacher of scenography at Dramatiska Institutet in Stockholm.

  7. 2004Solo exhibition in Prague

    A major solo exhibition in Prague with around 40 large paintings.

  8. 2008Death

    Vladimir Puhony dies.

  9. 2009Memorial exhibition

    Memorial exhibition at the Czech Centre in Stockholm.

Artistic work

Selected works

FROM THE CATALOGUE

A small selection from the catalogued paintings.

All works