Toyen was a Czech painter and illustrator known for contributing to the foundation of the Czech Surrealist movement. Born in Prague in 1902 as Marie Č��í�ԴǱ�á, Toyen was an independent thinker who refused to conform to the requirements and demands of gallerists and art critics. Toyen adopted the pseudonym “Toyen” in 1923 in order to remove any gendered label. The inspiration behind the pseudonym has been debated, with some believing it was derived from the French word “citoyen” meaning “citizen,” while others claim that it was a play on the Czech words “to je on” meaning “it is he.” Toyen often favored using masculine singular forms when speaking Czech and wore both male and female clothing.

Toyen’s interest in art began at a young age. Toyen studied art and Surrealism at the Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design in Prague in the early 1920s. When first visiting Paris in the early 1920s to promote Artificialism (a style of painting that was concerned with poetic perceptions of recollection), Toyen joined a group of artists inspired by Parisian poetry. Toyen would later return to Paris in 1947 to join the Paris Surrealists, associating with prominent figures of the time like Andre Breton, Salvador Dali, and Max Ernst.

Toyen’s gender fluidity led to a natural artistic focus on themes of gender, politics, and eroticism, drawing feeling and imagery from experiences and dreams. Toyen’s highly political art addressed women’s experiences, whether implicitly challenging societal expectations or explicitly addressing the political climate. Toyen continued to create art during the Nazi occupation of Prague, including an especially poignant portrayal of the destructive nature of warfare within the context of a children’s game, but was unable to exhibit any of it due to the Nazi ban of “degenerate” Surrealist art. Toyen was able to showcase this wartime art after the occupation ended, but fled to Paris in 1947 to escape the Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia.

Toyen died on November 9, 1980 and was buried in the Paris des Batignolles cemetery alongside the friends who had helped shape the artist’s Surrealist life and legacy.

Written by James Travis

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