Martin Mařík

A graduate of the University of Agriculture, he worked for nearly 30 years as a journalist for daily newspapers (MF Dnes, Hospodářské noviny) and weekly publications (Ekonom, the tablet-based weekly Dotyk). He initially focused on agricultural policy, and later on broader economic and political topics and issues. He also conducted interviews with prominent figures in politics and culture, including Jiří Bělohlávek, Pavel Černoch, Dan Bárta, Jiří Suchý, Jiří Fajt, and Pavel Kosatík.

He dabbled in painting for a short time in the 1980s and briefly in the late 1990s, but has been pursuing this activity consistently and fully only for the past four years. His technique is based on oil painting, which he combines with acrylics, pastels, epoxy resins, and other materials—such as sand, stones, etc.

He is the nephew of the painter Jan Špála. He also writes fiction; his shorter works have appeared in the literary magazines *Tvar* and *Pandora*.