Toyen
Marie Čermínová (Prague 1902 - Paris 1980) known as Toyen was the leading Czech Surrealist who played an important role in the International Surrealist movement.
From artistic, political and personal point of views, she was one of the most independent creative artists in the last century. Toyen rejected her name (Marie Cerminova) and chose to pursue her career as an artist under an assumed name - a mysterious name without a gender. She broke all links to her family in favour of several friends who were "bound by choice". Toyen protested against bourgeois tendencies and endorsed the anarchist movement. She disclaimed any suggestion that she play a traditional woman's role by leading an independent way of life and, on the other hand, displaying no compromise for the quality of her work.
Although Toyen's life was full of personal turbulences and misfortunes, her work retained authenticity and inner consistency. In the early 1920s, she began her lifelong friendship with the Czech painter, photographer and poet, Jindrich Styrsky (1899-1942). This was a remarcable union of two individuals who inspired, influenced ...
