Stefan Milkov

Stefan Milkov (*9 March 1955, Bohumín) is a Czech sculptor, designer and musician with Bulgarian roots. Education: Secondary School of Applied Arts in Uherské Hradiště, reproductive stone sculpture (1971–1975, with his studies interrupted in 1974–1975); Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, sculpture studio of Professor Josef Malejovský (1976–1982).

In the mid-1980s he joined the activities of the emerging generation of postmodern artists around the unofficial Confrontation exhibitions. A decisive turn came in 1986, when he rediscovered his childhood drawings and found a new direction in them. In June 1987 he was one of the founding members of the generational group Tvrdohlaví (the Stubborn Ones, active 1987–1991). His approach is postmodern at heart, though he does not deny the influence of the modern sculpture of the first half of the 20th century; his work often springs from an unorthodox handling of mythological, legendary and Christian subjects (angels, Pietà, Jesus Christ Super Stealth). Characteristic are figurative sculptures with large smooth heads without detail, abstract forms and sculptures combining human and machine elements. Materials: bronze, fibreglass, nanobronze, metal with a polished surface; he also paints (for the past 15 years or so) and works in printmaking, stage design, glass and design — among other things he designs electric guitars for the luthier Peter Jurkovič. He took part in the Mikulov art symposium “Workshop” (1994 and 2023). In 1995 he suffered a serious shoulder injury which limited his work for a time. He lives and works in Prague.

Solo exhibitions (over 20 since 1989, a selection): The House at the Golden Melon, Prague (1989, 1990); Sculptures, Vysočina Regional Gallery in Jihlava (1990); Corpus angelicus, Prague Castle — the Hall under Plečnik’s Staircase (1998); V kapli Gallery, Bruntál (1999); Ars Gallery, Brno (2004); Sculptures and Paintings, Diamant Gallery, Prague (2005); Sculptures, models, projects, visions, Malostranská beseda (2010); Selection 2003–2013, Magna Gallery, Ostrava (2013); Night Work, 1. patro Gallery, Prague (2016) and Night Work II, Josef Jíra Gallery, Malá Skála (2017); Forman — Milkov, Ludvík Kuba Gallery, Poděbrady (2018); Restless Times, Václav Špála Gallery, Prague (2019); Sculpture, House of Art, Opava (2019); Stage Garden, Crears Gallery, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm (2022). The largest survey of his work to date (some 30 large sculptures from the past 35 years) ran at the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague until 9 March 2025, marking the artist’s seventieth birthday.

Works in public space: Gate with Pendulum and Spring, náměstí Republiky, Havířov (2003–2005, 9 m high, co-authored with Karel Holub); Monument to Nikola Tesla, Prague 6 — Dejvice (2014); sculptures in Hadovka park in Prague (El Niño, Flypast); Amorfoid, the garden of the St Agnes Convent, Prague (2016); a bronze monument in Kralupy nad Vltavou. At Art in the City 2025 he showed the work Dynamikon in České Budějovice.

Czech Television made a documentary profile of the artist (2016, directed by Rudolf Kudrnáček).