Jan Kutalek (July 20, 1917 in Prague - May 20, 1987 there) was a Czech artist, sculptor - ceramist

Known for his original ceramic figurative and relief work, inspired mainly by Czech mythology and fairy tales. year travels around Austria, Yugoslavia and Italy. Since 1940 he began his career as an independent artist. In order to complete his academic education, he joined Professor Karel Pokorny in 1945 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, but he discovers that his artistic sensibilities and technology are fully developed and he leaves school one year later. In 1977 he became a member of the Union of Czech Artists.

In his work he devoted himself both to figural motifs and relief works, and although marginally, he also devoted himself to drawing. Since the 1950s he has also focused on "applied art" in ceramic art. His work was most influenced by the work of the Italian expressive ceramist Salvator Fancella ( 1916 – 1941 ), a graduate of the School of Applied Arts in Monza. Kutalek drew mainly his works from Czech and Greek mythology, myths and fairy tales. His work is characterized by unusual playfulness, unusual poetry and is endowed with a special fairy tale magic. All his fictional characters of spittoon got from the author also beautiful poetic Czech names - eg Libeznik, Pustoralek, Fispajtl, Hostipas, Pispartez, Zivenka or Houbovnicek. With his playful, poetic ceramics, he made an indelible mark not only in children's souls but also in the history of Czech art ceramics.