Oldrich Kulhanek was born on 26 February 1940 in Prague. From 1958 he studied at the College of Applied Arts in Prague in the studio of Prof. Karel Svolinsky.

After a promising start, Kulhanek was banned from exhibiting his work in his native country during most of the 70’s for political reasons. While he continued to work, his prints had to be smuggled out from behind the iron curtain.

In 1990 Kulhanek visited the USA for the first time to participate in a Lithographic Workshop in Los Angeles. Since then he has been invited to the States many times, giving seminars and lectures as well as for his exhibitions. Between 1992 and 1993 Kulhanek was involved in the new Czech banknotes project, creating images for the newly liberated country’s currency.

Oldrich Kulhanek has had many exhibitions recently both in Europe and the United States, including an exhibition in Arnot Art Museum in New York, where the best works of world modern realism were presented.