Zdenka Urmila Das

Zdenka Urmila Das was born in Czechoslovakia. She was exposed to art at a very young age; her first painting lesson were from her father, a painter himself. He showed her some of the basic techniques in oil and water colours. Zdenka’s parents were wholly supportive of her love for art and enrolled her into Ostrava School of Arts at the age of ten. Through her tenure there, she learned various styles of dance, theatre acting, costume design, make-up art, and piano. As a young adult, she pursued her interest in languages and completed a BA in languages in 1965.    In 1970 she met her husband, an engineering professor, and together they immigrated to Quebec City, Canada. 

In Canada, Zdenka’s passion for painting was put on hold while she obtained a Bachelor of Science from the University of Calgary and raised her two children. Always interested in exploring her passions, Zdenka also nurtured her interest for chess during this phase of her life. She represented Canada in the 1982 Chess Olympics gaining the title of International Chess Master.

While raising her children with her husband, a man from West Bengal, India, Zdenka was deeply influenced by the Bengali culture and esthetic. As her children grew up, Zdenka delved back into the arts, now with a Bengali influence. This esthetic is clearly visible in her clothing design, crafting, dancing, and painting. 

Zdenka moved to Edmonton in 1988, which ended up being an important event for her. It was in Edmonton that she started dedicating more time to learning different forms of visual arts and techniques. Since moving to Edmonton she has completed courses in encaustics, pastels, drawing, ink and print making, composition, and form simplification. Zdenka also joined the CAVA gallery and has had a yearly exhibition since 2004. 

Other notable accomplishments since moving to Edmonton:

• Zdenka’s artwork was selected by Melcor Developments Municipal Art Collection and was displayed on Public Transit in Spruce Grove for October 2013. 
• Zdenka had her art displayed at the Juried Art and Square 1 Exhibitions in St Albert. 
• Zdenka was interviewed by Radio Canada CBC in 2012 about her unique art work.
• Zdenka has had her paintings published in various local magazines.

Zdenka still engages with many forms of art, from dancing with guest choreographers from West Bengal to sitting on the board of a community arts organization. However, her passion for painting is her first love. For Zdenka painting is the key to a secret door of fantasies, imagination, and creative power.