Photo: Vít Hassan for PrahaIN.cz/Stepan Mares
INTERVIEWER: He is known for political and social satires. His artistically expressive style has a slightly provocative touch. Through his drawings, he can aptly comment on current events. “What is happening in Czech politics now seems quite bizarre to me,” says the popular cartoonist Štěpán Mareš for PrahaIN.cz.
Did you do well during the last year?
Many events took place and it was a very interesting year for draftsmen from a work point of view. But you can’t paint them all the time, that would be annoying. All kinds of feelings were and still are running through my head. It’s all weird. It is strange and terrifying at the same time that the so-called Russian special military operation continues in Ukraine for the fourth year. Lest anyone misunderstand, I’m not making fun of it. I know that appalling horrors are happening there and tens of thousands of people are dying there, including civilians and small children. That’s terrible. Sometimes I wonder where on earth we have gotten to in the twenty-first century, in 2026. It’s unbelievable.
Long-term tensions have affected almost all continents. What are you personally most worried about?
That’s too much. What the USA sometimes does also shocks me in a negative sense. I am a bit worried about the current development, because even Europe is starting to fall behind. I’m waiting to see what happens, and I’m not very happy about it.
Last year: I was happy that I drew about eighteen politicians for Praha TV who appeared in pre-election debates. That was interesting work. And I am happy that I can draw jokes for PrahaIN.cz. This is not a cliché, I honestly appreciate it. It’s not easy to do satire or cartoon humor these days. It’s a struggle. I’ve been doing this for a living for thirty-five years, and I might be a little tired at times. But I still like my job and enjoy it. I think 2025 was a successful year for me.
We wrote
Where can people see your work this year? Are you preparing another exhibition?
Of course. There will be two exhibitions, in Uherské Hradiště and in Třebíč na Vysočín. The group Čechomor, who are my longtime friends, promised to play at both of them. We have known each other for many years and it is a pleasure to work with such great people. When they start a song, it fascinates people that they don’t just play chamber music, but sometimes they come close to rock or heavy metal, which is unique.
In Třebíč, the exhibition will be held in the Painted House on Karlov náměstí. It is a wonderful historic house and I last exhibited there about fifteen years ago. I’m really looking forward to going there because that’s where I come from. I rarely go to Vysočina now, but I have my parents, studio and roots there.
Are you already a full-time Prague resident?
Yes, I am. Five years ago, I found a partner from Turnov. He works in Prague, we have an apartment in the capital, so we live here. I have been in Prague for over thirty years, but I alternated with Vysočina. I originally told myself that I didn’t want to live in the city, but after five years of marriage, I wouldn’t want to go back to the village. Not that I’m a conceited bourgeois, but I’ve gotten used to Prague. I wouldn’t change today. Since there is little time, I don’t go to Vysočina much anymore. But I regret that I don’t see my parents more often.
Your friend Ondřej Vetchý comes from the same region. He also lives in Prague, but returns to Vysočina quite often…
We have known each other for a long time and I like him. He is also from Okříšek, where Karel Roden also comes from. Ondra often remembers him. Ondřej and I are close. He is principled and a nice person. But he is very busy with work, so we don’t see each other often. This makes me sad sometimes, because we understand each other. But Ondřej is far more famous than me.
Motifs that reflect the current situation in the Czech Republic, Europe and the world often appear in your paintings and cartoons. Are you following the development as a citizen Štěpán Mareš? And how do you see certain moments from the Czech political scene?
In discussions, I always look for a way to not touch someone too much, but on the other hand, I refuse to be completely tolerant of everything. When I sometimes look at what is happening in Czech politics now, it seems quite bizarre to me. I am satisfied with the fact that Petr Pavel, whom I personally like, is the president at the Castle. But it’s worse in the basement. Some people in Czech politics are simply walking freaks.
From an artistic point of view, this situation gives me room for various jokes and forums, and I admit that I am glad for this, because tense and unusual situations are a blessing for an artist. For example, Tomio Okamura or Petr Macinka, they are literally a fountain of subjects. It was worse with Petr Fiala, because as prime minister he was a cracker. I don’t mean it in a bad way, but from an artist’s point of view, it’s amazing to watch our politicians. But I am not happy with the current situation. It’s wrong what we’re going to tell each other.
date:2026-02-09 02:03:00