... recently took place at the unique Hálka Theater, a cultural gem of both Nymburk, in the Polabí region, and the entire Central Bohemian region. This sanctuary of the boards, which represent the world, has a history of ninety years of activity in a representative building of functionalist style, and is a significant monument in the historical center of the city. It has also been the home stage for Eva Hrubá, a native of this region, for many decades. The author of fifteen collections of poetry, actress, director, radio journalist, and, not least, a painter.

The newly renovated foyer of the theater, serving as both a theater café and an exhibition space, was filled to capacity on April 17th of this year. The improvised audience stood for long minutes applauding the artist Eva Hrubá and her musical colleagues at the end of the extraordinary evening: the renowned violinist Alexander Shonert, the pianist and composer Lubomír Müller, and the singer Lída Žembera, who accompanied herself on guitar.

For a full fifty minutes, Eva Hrubá, on a small stage, recited and performed selections from her latest collection of poetry, "Tender Nakedness of Truth," with captivating passion and with all her strength. The ceremonial launch of her book of poems, in an unusual, narrow format with a cloth binding, was the perfect finishing touch to this memorable cultural evening.

Reincarnation of Hana Hegerová

Eva (born June 12, 1951), who chose the pseudonym Ave Abuhr when she joined social media – reading it backward, because she is not, after all, rude – was once a rising star in the regional poetry scene and is now a poet of national importance. On the Nymburk stage of the Hálka Theater, where she has excelled for many years as an actress, playwright, and director, she has left a significant mark, along with other Czech stages. She has more than two thousand authorial performances and recitals to her credit. It is also impossible to forget her radio discussions "Na dřeň" on the Patriot radio station.

A moment from the book signing - the author's dedication with her signature is waiting for her long-time colleague and collaborator, director Venclík.

She has often received standing ovations from enthusiastic audiences during her performances with the AdiE.H Poetry Theater in the legendary Rubín or Viola, or in various galleries, clubs, cultural centers, and on small theater stages and cinemas. Everywhere where it is possible to meet Eva Hrubá and her artistic work and acting performances. It is important to emphasize that in theatrical performances, she not only acted but also directed them with a very interesting artistic approach. For example, she directed Rolland's novella "Peter and Lucie" or "Manon Lescaut." She also excelled in Venclík's play "Hašler, or What About That, Nation" at the Karlín Theater in Prague, where she received an award for directing and acting.

Eva Hrubá is known for pouring her heart and soul into her work, much like the legendary chansonnier Hana Hegerová, with whom she shares a similar intensity, both on and off stage – the way she embodies the emotions, her delivery, her stage presence, and the expressions on her face, whether it's a smile or a tear. The film and theater screenwriter, playwright, and actor Vlastimil Venclík recently introduced Eva Hrubá to the audience at the Malostranská beseda in Prague, not only as a long-time colleague and prominent figure in the Czech arts scene, but also as an author who was just finishing her new collection of poems, which is likely to be her last.

Tender Nakedness of Truth, or Let's Embrace

The AVE ABURH recital, composed of poems from the collection of the same name and illustrated with the author's own paintings, was a powerful artistic experience for the audience at the Hálkovo Theater. For many, the evening was a tribute to the author, who conceived it as a gift in gratitude for years of support and sponsorship, without which her latest collection would not have been possible. After all, the current times and the publishing industry are not particularly receptive to literature, especially poetry. Therefore, most Czech poets are forced to self-publish or beg for support.

In the case of Eva Hrubá, significant help came from a grant from the city of Nymburk and the supportive attitude of several admirers of her work, who, led by the mayor, Ing. Tomáš Mach, christened the book at the end of a wonderful evening. Among the main patrons were Mrs. Květoslava Richterová, Eva Kubáňová, and Václav Hrubý. The collection presented here is a compilation of poetic works from the years 2018 to 2025. It is divided into ten chapters or sections, spanning nearly five hundred pages, starting with "Under the Sign of Gemini," continuing with "Tender Nakedness of Truth," and then, for example, "Melted Wax," "The Asylum of the Mad," and the autobiographical piece "Ave Eva." The published excerpts, "Fragments of Rarity" – excerpts from letters and reader responses – speak for themselves about the enthusiasm for her verses.

Their heartfelt reactions speak volumes and render literary analyses and reviews unnecessary. In this context, it is important to mention the director Venclík's declaration of his admiration for Eva Hrubá's work, and as a recognition and reward for her many years of outstanding cultural contributions promoting her hometown, he proposed that she be made an honorary citizen of Nymburk during the book launch ceremony. The poetry collection is beautifully illustrated with a selection of the author's visual art, with forty original "digital paintings" that correspond to the poems. A small exhibition of her recent work, created with her tablet, was also held in the foyer of the Hálkovo Theater on the occasion of the book launch, allowing her to document her surroundings through photography.

Digital Art

Digital painting is a modern art form that combines an artist's creativity with the latest technologies. Artists use computers, tablets, and specialized software, which allows them to realize their ideas without relying on traditional painting techniques and materials. This approach is used not only in illustrations or advertising graphics, but also in fine art, which is the case with Eva Hrubá and her artistic sensibility. She, in a way, paints, but without an easel and canvas. However, let's not get bogged down in semantics. What's important is that she is successful in this field. Her dreamlike images of landscapes and inner thoughts have their buyers and collectors.

The exhibition catalog was replaced this time by the "Jičínský Čaj" magazine, a publication for moments of relaxation, where, among other things, in an interview with editor-in-chief Václav France and Eva Hrubá, we read about this topic: "This painting style, which combines painting with photography in a digital format, allows me to transform verses into colors and ideas, so that in a poetic abstraction, there is always a point, a perspective on the world, an opinion. I work digitally, and the software allows me to blend colors and use brushes, while I create the same image with my finger on the screen as if it were on a canvas. Sometimes I combine photo collages with painting. The images intentionally do not have titles, and each exhibition is called "Vroucně, or the Isms of Eva Hrubá."

The most important thing when creating so-called digital art is not to be seduced by artificial intelligence," adds the multi-talented Eva Hrubá in conclusion. It remains to be added that her next exhibition, the fifth in a series, is planned for the second half of this year in the center of Prague, at the Jaskmanický Gallery, where, during the opening, there will be a discussion with the artist, including a recitation of poems from her latest, fifteenth collection of poetry, "Ave Aburh: Gentle Nakedness of Truth."

Ivan Černý