Jan Filip

I was born 1968 in Carlsbad, a world known spa in western Bohemia, former Czechoslovakia. Studying in zoology, as I wanted to do was almost impossible in that time of communists government. So I began to paint the objects of my interest, at least.
I had dreamed about journeys to Africa with brush and easel and a 150 thousand lions lived there, in the late seventies.
In 1993 I had met a German graphic artist and painter who became my tutor. In this period the west african lions got almost extinct.
Since 2005 I make a living as a wildlife painter. Just as few as 20 K lions survived over my short personal history.

I am an self taught painter and did not recieve formal education. So I have my own philosophy about painting, I feel free to be more a story teller, than a realistic painter. Since no animal will wait untill You have finished the painting, it makes sense to paint quick and avoid too much detail. It was difficult to paint moving mammals from a distance in Africa. But You must have felt the heat, dazzling light and beauty of the wild creature. For these reasons I have chosen ala prima technique in oil. To capture the fast disappearing wild Africa.

online gallery with Wildlife Artist of the Year 2019, London


2018 solo exhibition THE LAST 20 000, at Galerie Platinium, Brno City, Czech Republic

2016 Carlsbad City Gallery, Czech Republic

2010 - 2015 diverse private shows in public o private rooms.