Anna Zemankova

Born in 1908 in Olomouc, Moravia, Anna showed a keen interest in drawing from an early age, but her father did not understand her: she became a dental assistant.
In 1933, she married an officer, stopped working and devoted herself fully to her home. The couple had three sons (the first of whom died at the age of 4) and, later, a daughter. Her role as a loving mother kept her fully occupied. After the Second World War, the family moved to Prague, then, in 1950, Anna fell into depression and, because of her diabetes, had both her legs amputated.
At over 50 - perhaps reconnecting with her childhood dream - Anna began to produce spontaneous plant-inspired drawings daily, between 4 and 7 a.m., when she felt she was capturing magnetic forces. At the beginning of the work, she is unaware of its final form: “Everything works by itself”, “[…] no need to think”.
This rootless, humus-less vegetation, these sometimes mental, sometimes organic blooms, from what herbarium of the abyss do they emerge? Which kingdom do they belong to, which classification do they belong to? And, as in the work of Séraphine de Senlis, are they still flowers? Aren’t they already fruit? Fleshy, filled with heady juices: gorged with the drive of a woman who simply says “I live”.
These strikingly detailed works, driven by a singular rhythm of spirals, arabesques and geometric shapes, have made Anna a major figure in the art brut movement. Her work is represented in the most prestigious collections, culminating in the international pavilion at the 2013 Venice Biennale.