Anna Zemánková

Czech Republic, 1908 – 1986

From an early age, Anne showed a special appreciation for drawing. However, forced by her family, she pursued a career as a dental technician. In 1933, she married a high official and began dedicating herself exclusively to the household and her three children. The family moved to Prague at the end of the Second World War, and in 1950 Anne suffered a major depression aggravated by the subsequent amputation of both legs. She began drawing as a daily practice when she was over fifty: spontaneous manifestations of vegetal inspiration that, according to her, are inspired by magnetic forces that she senses between 4 and 7 am, with a totally unpredictable final result. These creations, with surprising details, possessing a characteristic rhythm between spirals, arabesques and geometric shapes, make Zemánková a prominent figure in the art brut scene.