MgA. Tereza Eisnerová

What led you to work on coins and medals?

Already during my studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague in the studio of figurative sculpture and medals, I devoted myself to relief to a greater extent alongside fully sculptural compositions. A big challenge for me was especially the low relief, which is the most demanding. From there it was quite close to the medal. During my studies I started to participate in Czech National Bank competitions and since then I have been working on coins and medals continuously, in parallel with my free sculpture.

Do you remember your first project for the Czech Mint?

The first realization was a commemorative coin of the painter Kamil Lhoták from 2012. At that time, it was not a direct commission – my design won the Czech National Bank competition and was selected for realization at the Czech Mint. I still like this coin very much.

Can you count how many designs for coins and medals were created by your hands?

I am not sure of the exact number, but I have created approximately 250 final plaster models to date. I would love to see them together myself, for example at an exhibition. I now have 38 coins realized in metal. It is a pity that a design that is not realized is often never seen again, yet there is a lot of effort and time behind it.

Which order from the Czech Mint pleased you the most? Which one is your favourite?

I like dramatic compositions, so I like to remember the coin with the motif of the Hindu goddess Kali, whose horrific form with fangs, a necklace of skulls and a severed demon head in one of her four hands allowed me to bring a good dose of expression to the design. For the same reason I remember the coin with the motif of the archangel Michael wrestling with the Devil. The dramatic tangle of bodies and wings in a perspective shortcut was one of the most challenging compositions I have ever created.

What subject matter is closest to your heart?

My favourite subjects are portraits and animals, which are themes I often apply in my free sculpture. As a graduate of the studio of figurative sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, I have long been very attached to depicting the human or animal body. I am interested in anatomy, capturing movement, expression, …

How do you find inspiration for your work? Where do you like to create?

I am most inspired by the morphology of nature – it is a completely inexhaustible reservoir of forms. Of course, I also study the works of the great sculptors of the past, their approaches, their methods of modelling, composition, … Today, very few artists can come close to them. When working on a specific commission, I then prepare detailed research so that the final design not only meets aesthetic requirements, but also works in a historical context. I currently work in a relatively small studio. In the future, I hope for a larger space in which I can return to larger sculptural compositions in addition to medals and small sculptures.

Do you have a secret dream – something you want to achieve that you consider a highlight in your career as a medal maker?

I don't think I have a big medal-making milestone, rather I would like to realise some themes that are close to me – for example, mushrooms, mythical animals or the underwater world. I would like to be able to work on these themes as a series, so that I could gradually develop the motifs in several compositional variations.

2023