Interview with Kateřina Lukášová
Kateřina Lukášová
Kateřina Lukášová is the founder of the project Bohemia Design Market, an online platform for talented Czech authors, artists and designers. Bohemia Design Market is a place where unique ideas for presenting of Czech independent production without limits is combined with interconnecting people, meaningful projects, non-profit organisations and openness to other possibilities and project development. Katka is a person literally bursting with energy. She has travelled through diverse parts of the world. She has lived in Scotland, France, Portugal and Iceland.
Travelling and inspiration
Katka, how should I best present you? Do you see yourself as an entrepreneur or otherwise?
I probably wouldn't describe myself as an entrepreneur. I don't really like compartmentalisation, like where someone belongs to one or other niche. More likely, you could say I am not afraid to make my dreams and visions come true. I joyfully go straight for what I believe holds meaning.
What was your start like?
Since childhood, I have been fascinated by new places, people, their culture and foreign languages. I come from the small village of Podkrkonoší, which I decided to leave when I was 15 years old and discover for myself what life is about, including everything. After graduating from pedagogical higher education, I left for Scotland, France, Iceland, and then back to France. After six years, I returned to my mother country and settled for couple of years in Prague. I took a break from Prague two years ago for few months to spend time in Portugal.
I started to earn my first money when I was 13 by making wooden beads from wooden sticks, which I then painted with model paint and determinedly offered them in stores dealing in oriental/Eastern commodities. After that, while still attending school, I held a few part-time jobs and worked in diverse spheres, both in the Czech Republic and abroad, where I combined this with studies and travelling.
Do you sense any difference in human behaviour in our country and abroad?
While travelling and getting to know foreign cultures and people, one of the most beautiful things I encountered is diversity, and that does not only pertain to human behaviour and their attitude to life. I think that human behaviour partly reflects the situation in a particular country. However, it also depends on the way people see themselves as individuals within a certain society and what values they recognise. Both in my life in general and while travelling, I have been fortunate enough to mostly meet people who respect not only themselves but also their origins and life goals. They enjoy what is here and now, the same approach as I have, and they behave towards others accordingly.
Has any of those countries touched your heart?
Every country I have lived in, and especially my birth country, has its own place in my heart… However, Bohemia, France and Iceland have probably influenced me the most in terms of what I am doing at the moment.
And how they have influenced you concretely?
I was born in Bohemia, in the heart of the Europe, in a country, whose history, language, culture, traditions and human production inspire me very much. This is my home, and at the same time, my base while travelling abroad.
France is actually the country I have lived in the longest if considering where I have spent time while abroad. I like the way French people perceive their cultural heritage, uphold their traditions, and develop them, as well as the fact that they are proud of it.
Of course, I also love their wine and gastronomy! (laugh)
Iceland enchanted me with its vastness, wildness and enigma. That is probably why Icelanders are so warm-hearted, have a specific attitude to life, asi well as excellent black humour. Last but not least, they have an interesting and irreplaceable artistic scene. While in Iceland, I also fell for local delicacies, so I decided in May of last year to set up an e-shop with Icelandic products (Icelandic Products), where you also get a pencil from street children from the Chance Project after purchasing some products for more than 300 CZK.
Idea – Bohemia Design Market
Is that where you got the idea of the Bohemia Design Market and support for Czech art and design?
It came to me at August of the year 2014, when I was sailing on the glacial Jökulsárlón Lake in Iceland… I was admiring the incredibly beautiful of nature's creations with humility and also appreciated that how there is, in principle, something for everyone. At that moment, I began to think about what we create in order to evoke such feelings and the thought shifted to our Czech independent production, which fascinates me, not only with its accuracy, soul and originality, but also its functionality.
I told myself that it would be nice to make our unique production more accessible, not only for ourselves, but also for the whole world. That is how the idea originated to establish the BOHEMIA DESIGN MARKET as the marketable online platform for talented Czech authors, designers and artists. Its main vision is SUPPORT Czech original, independent production and Czech non-profit organisations that are also deserving of our attention and support, and to further LINK people and the international market, as well as other projects that are meaningful and push us forward.
Persistence and strong belief in my vision finally transformed into reality after much intensive work and this happened specifically on April 13, 2015. This was the day when I launched the Bohemia Design Market website for the first time, and I created it in Czech and English. Various payment options are possible, in three world currencies and with worldwide delivery or through the personal delivery of an order after arranging with the author of the products you bought as a matter of fact.
So, at the moment, the Bohemia Design Market operates on three different levels:
As an online sales platform for talented Czech authors, designers and artists, which makes it possible to transparently present their personality and their work internationally.
Gradually entering cooperative relations with foreign design stores and galleries.
Organises sales exhibitions for Czech production abroad and plans to launch such activity even within the Czech Republic.
In September 2015, I organized the first Bohemia Market in Budapest, in cooperation with the Czech Centre. In December 2015, I left to introduce Czech independent production to Polish Katovice at the Silesia Bazaar.
I know that, at the moment, you are planning an event in Prague within the csope of the BDM project, where foreign and Czech designers will have the opportunity to meet together. You have already previously organised such an event abroad – in Budapest. When you are now organising something like this in Bohemia, can you say wheter it is more or less challenging to do?
Since the very beginning, I have set the bar very high for myself, and not only by taking the project directly beyond Czech borders. I introduced my project to the Czech Centre in Budapest and I should even thank them for anticipating the first Bohemia Design Market in Budapest, which took place during the last weekend in September 2015. It was quite demanding to coordinate the whole event and to organize the representation of 22 separate Czech brands in Budapest, to prepare everything necessary, to come up with a system for how everything will work and so on. After many sleepless nights, I even had a moment when I told myself that I had probably reached the bottom…
Since the beginning, the whole project has actually been a little punk and a "one woman show" (she laughs)
In Poland's Katovice, I connected to the event Silesia Bazaar, which is already operating. I went there to introduce them to a few Czech brands, which were exhibiting at the BDM. Bohemia seems to me to be quieter, for now. (she laughs)
For March 2016, I have prepared the Bohemia Design Market Prague #1, which entails a sales exhibition of Czech and foreign independent production, design and art. Visitors will be introduced to foreign and Czech talented authors, artists and designers along with some Czech non-profit organisations, such as
Pink Bubble, SE.S.TA., Rosa os, Sever – Centre for Environmental Education, which are also deserving of our attention and support. In a beautiful space at Prague's Le Royal, you can look forward to encountering authors from Austria, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Visitors will have the possibility to enjoy some snacks, a raffle and accompanying cultural programs at these events. Saturday evening will be devoted to networking between the exhibition participants and event partners.
Katka, what do you think is really important in life?
The total foundation is take care of yourself and your health, to listen to your body, intuition, not to force the issue and not to go against yourself. What is important is to do things you believe are meaningful and don't be afraid to go straight for your goals, even if it is not easy and if you have to constantly overcome various obstacles. To be grateful for everything beautiful in our life, but also for every mistake and failure, because they ultimately push us forward. Not to be afraid to make mistakes, because thanks to them, we can learn and become better people.
Is there anything you would like to tell young people on our planet? Perhaps some kind of message to the younger generation or message that you would like to leave behind or what your experiences have taught you...
I would tell them to not be afraid to follow what they believe in. They should work on preserving our planet, to cultivate themselves and their environment. They should be nice people that are pleasant to be around. To help. To preserve our language, traditions, crafts and cultural heritage.
To deepen the relationship between human kind and nature. To create. To love each other and to love fully. Also, from time to time, to take a break from technology! (after several rings of the phone) (she laughs)
Thank you very much for the interview.