Ян Душек

Jan Dušek was a highly respected Czech set designer and visual artist, regarded as one of the most influential figures of modern Czech scenography. He studied stage design at DAMU in Prague, where he later taught and became the first post-revolution dean of the faculty. Throughout his long career, he collaborated with major Czech theatres — the National Theatre, Divadlo Na zábradlí, Vinohrady Theatre, Prague City Theatres, the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre or Divadlo Petra Bezruče. His work was celebrated for its precise spatial composition, masterful use of light, and the ability to create stage images that significantly shape the atmosphere of each production. He designed dozens of remarkable sets for drama, opera and ballet, creating scenography for approximately 650 productions. Critics described him as a “set designer of extraordinary imagination and absolute craftsmanship,” whose work could open an entirely new theatrical world for the audience. Jan Dušek passed away in December 2025.