About Jitka
After training at the Higher Vocational School of Graphic Arts in Prague, Jitka began her career at the Barrandov animation studio Bratri v Triku (Brothers in a T-Shirt). She signed Charter 77, the Czechoslovak civic declaration challenging the communist government’s human rights record, and faced serious consequences for it under the regime, eventually leaving Czechoslovakia in 1980.
In New York City, she co-founded the Ta Fantastika black light theater before spending many years designing for Sesame Street and Jim Henson’s Muppets productions, earning a Daytime Emmy nomination for Best Costume Design. Her work also appeared across television shows, commercials, and HBO specials, including Muppets Tonight.
As an independent designer, Jitka went on to create toys and puppets for major companies including Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., Mattel, and Fisher-Price. She later launched her own educational toy line, Art Plush - Modern Bits, which was exhibited at the Buell Children’s Museum in Colorado.
Jitka’s early puppet character designs drew comparisons to Pablo Picasso in a feature in the Sunday New York Times Magazine. In later years she transitioned to full-time fine art, now creating one-of-a-kind paintings, sculptures, and bas-reliefs on commission for clients worldwide.
In Her Own Words
“I have always been a creative person, passionate about everything from art to cartoon, puppetry, character design , fashion, sculpture, and interior design. Art is so important to me because it gives me a sense of freedom that feels pure and uninhibited. I create expressions of real and imagined experiences, emotions and inspirations gathered from a lifetime of keen observations. My creative journey blends various skills from different domains and the joy of creation is my driving force. My artistic endeavors take many forms, bringing life to everything that I create.”