LONDON.- Varvara Roza Galleries has opened APPLECORE II, a new exhibition of paintings by London-based Czech British artist Hynek Martinec. Curated by Ben Tufnell, Martinec’s debut exhibition with the St James’s gallery runs until 20 October 2026.

Bringing together classical painting techniques and contemporary questions about originality, authorship and human creativity, the exhibition takes one of art history’s most enduring symbols — the apple — as its starting point. At a time when artificial intelligence is transforming how images are made and circulated, Martinec considers the place of painting in an increasingly digital world.

The new works transform familiar objects into complex, often unsettling compositions. Drawing on biblical imagery, Renaissance painting and still life traditions, they explore knowledge, temptation, memory and transformation. The exhibition develops ideas first explored in Cyberlemon, Martinec’s 2025 exhibition at DOX Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague, where fruit became a means of navigating the history of painting.

Martinec comments: “APPLECORE continues ideas I began exploring in Cyberlemon, where fruit became a guide through the history of painting. ‘APPLECORE’ captures the moment before the Fall, when the apple remains untouched, just before Adam and Eve’s bite changes the course of human history. In the age of artificial intelligence, I return to this ancient image and ask what place these timeless stories have in a world where technology is transforming our relationship with images, memory and creativity. At the same time, the apple can simply remain an apple: a quiet, beautiful object beyond symbolism.”


Hynek Martinec, Citizen, 2020. Oil on canvas 100 x 100 cm.

Although often described as a hyperrealist or photorealist, Martinec combines imagery from diverse sources to create layered compositions that challenge assumptions about perception, memory and reality. His technical precision provides a foundation for paintings in which historical references and contemporary ideas meet.

The opening at Varvara Roza Galleries marks the second part of the two-venue APPLECORE project. Its first instalment, was a monumental wall drawing at Hypha Studios South Bank. Created live over six days, with the public able to observe its development, the site-specific work offered an introduction to the themes now explored in the gallery paintings.

Earlier this year, Martinec’s painting depicting the death mask of Jan Palach was unveiled at the Jan Palach Memorial in Všetaty, Czech Republic, on 21 August, entering its permanent collection. The commission commemorated the Czech student who became a symbol of resistance following his protest against the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia, and reflected Martinec’s longstanding engagement with history, memory and questions of truth.

Martinec studied classical painting techniques with Zdeněk Beran at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague and moved to London in 2007 after winning the BP Young Artist Award. His work has been exhibited internationally at institutions including the Royal Academy of Arts, the National Portrait Gallery in London, the National Gallery Prague, the National Museum in Stockholm and the National Gallery of Finland.

His works are held in collections including the British Museum, the National Gallery Prague and the Zabludowicz Collection. Tufnell, a London-based writer and curator, has collaborated with the artist since 2013.

Alongside the exhibition, Varvara Roza Galleries will present a programme of talks and events exploring the themes of APPLECORE and Martinec’s artistic practice, including a Q&A with the artist and Ben Tufnell during Frieze London week on Saturday 17 October.

Hynek Martinec: APPLECORE II is now open at Varvara Roza Galleries, St James’s, London, until 20 October 2026.