Jakub Štěpánek (* 1982) approaches graphic design as a medium of visual communication. His personal projects link his unceasing interest in the culture of the outskirts with the love of the landscape and its history. He is interested in the environment in which he lives and, by means of prints or small interventions, he responds to some contexts he finds in it. He focuses also on other materials than printed paper, applying motifs to chinaware or textile.
When implementing graphic design assignments, he most often oscillates around fine art and theatre. For several years, he participated in forming the visual style of exhibitions and catalogues for the Emil Filla Gallery in Ústí nad Labem. In the theatre environment, he designed the visual style of the Czech presentation of new theatre at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh and, for several years, he provided the visual design for the ceremonial announcement of Czech Theatre DNA Awards. He collaborates with theatre promoters from the Nová síť independent initiative. He works as a teacher.
He is a graduate of the Graphic Design 1 studio at the Faculty of Art and Design, UJEP. He had study residencies in Poland (ASP, Warsaw) and Turkey (SDÜ, Isparta). He co-operated for some time with the riesa efau. Kultur forum Dresden gallery in Dresden while on internship there. He was on residencies in Ireland (Cow House Studios, Rathnur) and Finland (HYRIA, Hyvinkää). Together with the de-sign.cz platform, he helped realize some of its exhibition projects (SUPER-BOWL, PAAR).