MgA. Petra Čánská

What led you to work on coins and medals?

Working with relief has been with me since my early student life. In the beginning, my steps were directed to the Secondary School of Arts and Crafts in Jablonec, specializing in engraving, and then to the same place for further medal studies at the Higher Vocational School. I was then able to deepen my skills at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, in the studio of figurative sculpture and medals, where I intensively devoted myself to the study of relief based on spatial sculpture.

Do you remember your first project for the Czech Mint?

I remember that my very first project at the Czech Mint was a plaster design that I submitted to a competition of the Czech National Bank on the topic of the Czechoslovak Constitution and the Constitutional Court. I think that this design ended up in the second round of the competition. However, the Mint was interested in it, and eventually it was realised in the form of a commemorative medal. This was followed by the coin of Antonín Dvořák and others.

Can you count how many designs for coins and medals were created by your hands?

I don't know the exact number, but I'm pleased to say that it's already a range.

Which order from the Czech Mint pleased you the most? Which one is your favourite?

Every project makes me happy, but so far I am most proud of winning the Czech National Bank's competition for a commemorative silver coin celebrating Josef Suk. Currently, I am also pleased to have authored a medal commemorating the 90th birthday of Jan Saudek.

What subject matter is closest to your heart?

I probably enjoy working on portraits the most, where it is necessary to capture the character of a person, their expression…

How do you find inspiration for your work?

I am used to working in such a way that I study the subject both in terms of content and form. I surround myself with a lot of visual and textual material. Through my research I get into the subject and then I sort out the different possibilities of compositions in my head. Sometimes you fall asleep with the topic in the evening and wake up with it in the morning. I always try to exhaust the topic as much as possible.

Do you have a secret dream – something you want to achieve that you consider a highlight in your career as a medal maker?

I don't have a secret dream. I like the variety that this profession offers.

2025