Josef Rataj
Josef Rataj (*May 29, 1979,Pilsen) is a Czech pop-art artist, painter, visual creator, and performer.
In his work, he combines painting, design, and fashion. His art encompasses a wide range of themes—from female portraits to cultural icons and symbolic compositions. His style is characterized by bold colors, sharp contrasts, and a distinctive personal touch. He also creates large-scale paintings, sculptures, and live speed-paintings that he performs in front of audiences in just a few minutes. He works both in the Czech Republic and abroad.
Biography
Early Life and Career
Josef Rataj grew up in a family with a strong artistic heritage—his grandfather, Josef Jícha, was an academic painter. From an early age, he was fascinated by color, contrast, and artistic expression. He frequently visited galleries and art spaces, particularly the Masné Krámy gallery in Plzeň, which had a profound impact on him.
In his early works, he often used a monochromatic palette, focusing on contrasts, lines, and structure. He gradually began to experiment with color, which later became a signature element of his style.
Rataj’s first public performances involved speed painting—to engage with the audience, he painted live during hockey game intermissions. This helped him gain attention and present his unique approach to the public.
His travels to the United States strongly influenced his work, particularly through exposure to advertising, neon colors, and pop-art motifs, which he began to incorporate into his art.
Present Day
In addition to painting and performance, Rataj creates sculptures, designs, and fashion pieces while maintaining his characteristic pop-art style. His works often appear in public spaces, including murals that blend street art with expressive painting.
In 2025, he opened the Taboo Gallery in the center of Prague, which serves both as a gallery for contemporary Czech art and his main studio. The space is designed for exhibitions, creative collaborations, and community engagement.
Rataj continues to work internationally, participating in exhibitions and projects. His works are part of private and public collections.
Work
Rataj primarily focuses on large-scale paintings, combining pop-art principles with his own expressive touch. He works mainly with spray paint and acrylics, allowing him to layer colors, text, and symbols into bold compositions. His inspirations include visual language from advertising, music, and urban environments.
Several of his pieces reference Andy Warhol’s work, especially in the repetition and iconization of familiar faces.
He also created a series of artworks for the sacred space of the Church of St. Peter and Paul in Chotěvice, blending religious themes with pop-art aesthetics.
Murals and Public Art
Rataj’s artistic signature is visible beyond traditional galleries. He has created multiple large-scale murals in Czech cities, including notable portraits of Hana Zagorová (2022) on Prague’s Kampa and Libuše Šafránková (2021). His public works merge street art with classical painting, emphasizing color, emotion, and direct engagement with viewers. In 2025, he completed a monumental mural for the Emergency Medical Service of Prague. His public works merge street art with classical painting, emphasizing color, emotion, and direct engagement with viewers.
Speed Painting and Performance
A unique aspect of Rataj’s work is his live speed painting performances. He creates artworks within minutes—such as a portrait of gymnast Věra Čáslavská, painted in seven minutes at EXPO 2025 in Japan. He often begins these paintings upside-down, revealing the final image only at the end of the performance.
Rataj’s speed painting performances have appeared at social and charity events in the Czech Republic and abroad. He has performed alongside international musicians, including Twenty 4 Seven and Belgian singer Kate Ryan.
Through his Colour Heroes concept, he combines painting with dance and performance, working with dancers, acrobats, and stunt performers to bring visual storytelling to life.
Design and Collaborations
Beyond painting, Rataj works in design. He has created graphic motifs for interiors, fashion collections, and vehicles. For Duckar, he designed visual concepts for race cars participating in the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia.
He has also painted garbage trucks, bringing art into everyday urban environments.
He collaborated with the Czech fashion brand Vuch on a limited edition of accessories inspired by his paintings and contributed to stage design for the band Kryštof. He creates logos and merchandise for companies and artists, including international clients.
In 2022, he designed the studio for the TV show Den a noc (TV Nova), integrating his pop-art elements into the show’s visual identity.
International Exhibitions
- EXPO 2025, Osaka (Japan) – presented Woman in Me in the Czech Pavilion
- Better Life: Art can do IT! – London Edition, SKT Gallery Hoxton (London) (2023)
- Art Basel Miami – international contemporary art fair
- Diamond Gallery NYC (USA) – solo exhibition
- Design Week, Genoa – pop-art works presented as part of the design festival
- Art Walkway, 3rd Edition, Milan – featured in a contemporary art showcase
- Venice Biennale – participation in the accompanying program
Czech Exhibitions
- TABOO Gallery, Prague – Permanent author’s exhibition space founded by Josef Rataj
- Vnitroblock, Prague – Group and thematic shows focusing on urban pop culture
- Výtvarné centrum Chagall, Ostrava – Solo exhibition of pop-art portraits
- Twinart Gallery – “My Crazy Life”, Prague – Solo exhibition exploring color and identity
- Artovna, České Budějovice – Regional exhibition of contemporary Czech art
- Galerie 1, Prague 1 – Group exhibition of modern artists
- Church of Richard Krajčo, Chotěvice – Site-specific installation and exhibition
Charity and Educational Projects
Rataj supports young artists and integrates visual arts with other creative disciplines. He regularly participates in charity projects and auctions.
At Prague’s Old Town Square, he spray-painted a piano and painted a portrait of John Lennon in support of the Kapka naděje foundation during the pandemic. The project captured the atmosphere of the empty city.
At the 2022 Czech Ball, he painted a portrait of Jim Morrison in six minutes through speed painting. The piece was auctioned for 300,000 CZK to benefit the Klíč k úsměvu foundation, which supports victims of domestic violence.
In collaboration with Lejla Abbasová, he painted classrooms for Maasai children in Kenya, involving local children in creating large-scale murals in multiple school buildings.
In total, his artistic work has helped raise over 3,000,000 CZK for various charitable causes.