Artist Bio
A self-taught oil painter based in Ontario, Josef Zetocha creates portraits and figurative works shaped by observation, colour, craftsmanship, and a return to painting after more than 30 years away from the canvas.
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Josef Zetocha is a self-taught artist specializing in oil-on-canvas paintings. Based in Ontario, Canada, he creates classic portraits and figurative works.
He began painting in his twenties but life led him in different directions. Immigration to Canada and a career in construction left little opportunity to pursue his artistic talent. After retiring, Josef returned to painting — a passion that had been on hold for more than 30 years. He has refined his artistic style, focusing on classic portraits and figurative works.
Josef’s portraits begin from photographic references painted onto blank canvases, evolving into large-scale pieces rich in colour and detail. “I like to focus on the face and give time to the details,” he explains. Many of his portraits are influenced by people he personally knows or by famous faces.
His figurative paintings are inspired by both his portraits and by intuitive ideas that arise through the creative process. He moulds figures out of lines and shapes, and blends abstract technique into the background. “I don’t start with a plan — the concepts, lines, shapes, and colours gradually appear on their own and through what I feel.”
Josef is recognized for creating artwork with bold and vibrant colour. Using brushes, palette knives, textured materials, and his hands, he approaches each painting with precision, craft and a creative vision. He gives each piece the time it needs, working through an unhurried process.
Josef expresses his hopes for his artwork and art collectors as: “I want the audience to feel joy and curiosity when they experience my art, and I strive to create a lasting impact.” His oil paintings are created as timeless works that can live for years within a space.
Early Works & Archive
Josef began creating art in 1975 in the Czech Republic. As a young boy, he taught himself to paint and draw without any formal art education. In his early twenties, his artistic path began to take shape after reconnecting with a childhood teacher at his wedding. She reminded him of his artistic talent, encouraging him to pursue art more seriously.
Josef went on to create a variety of commissioned works, ranging from landscape oil paintings to a copper sculpture commissioned by the city and displayed in the town centre of Holíč, Slovakia. He was also a member of the artists’ group Klub Výtvarníkov in Skalica, where members met monthly to present and critique one another’s completed works.
The photographs and early artworks shown here capture the beginnings of Josef’s artistic journey, including early exhibitions, commissioned work, and his involvement within a professional artist group.
Artistic Approach
Focused on faces, expression, identity, and the emotional presence of each subject.
Exploring the human form through posture, gesture, movement, rhythm, and abstraction.
Studies of nature and form, including plants, horses, and the human figure.
30" x 48" oil on canvas
Josef’s paintings move between the inner and outer worlds of perception. In his portraits, he focuses on faces and figures with close attention to expression, presence, and emotional depth. With his figurative abstractions, he explores what lies beneath surface reality, something felt behind what is seen. Together, these approaches allow him to shift between realism and abstraction, with each influencing the other as he turns what he observes into a more intuitive and expressive style.
Against All Odds explores resilience hidden beneath a joyful surface. The clown appears colourful, entertaining, and full of life, yet behind the character is a deeper idea about perseverance, determination, and continuing forward even when things are not easy.
At the centre of the painting, the clown pulls a wagon of balloons on triangle wheels - a deliberate symbol woven throughout the work. Triangle buttons on his clothing repeat the theme. Unlike a circular wheel, a triangle cannot roll smoothly, yet the wagon still moves forward. That contradiction becomes the heart of the painting: accomplishing what should not be possible.
The artist created this work as a reflection of how he sees parts of himself in the clown and in the message behind the painting; continuing to move forward, adapt, and pursue goals despite obstacles. The clown’s calm expression and pride suggest persistence rather than defeat.
Ultimately, the work speaks to a universal experience; pushing through resistance and uncertainty. Against All Odds is a reminder that progress is still possible, even when the journey is far from smooth.
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