limited-edition

Spectre Bodies

Bodies is a collab with a deeply personal story at its heart.

It was born out of a chance meeting between our co-founder Michael Moureček and the Polish artist Jakub Kois. The motif of the human body, Jakub’s favourite subject, struck a chord with Michael who was in the process of getting his own body back into shape after a serious accident. He was so impressed by Jakub’s work and his mild manner that he didn’t have to think for long before asking him to design a scheme for his new Festka Spectre. The result was so striking that we decided to offer the scheme as a limited edition.

BODIES IS A SPECIAL EDITION LIMITED TO TEN PIECES ONLY

It started with a crash

Over a year previously, out on a ride with a group of clients, Michael had a big crash. He injured his leg seriously and had to undergo major surgery. Everything went well but it was just the beginning. To get back into shape he had to endure hundreds of hours of physiotherapy and exercise. As soon as was able to ride a bike - slowly and cautiously to begin with - he realised he could benefit from a few tweaks to the geometry of his bike to accommodate the changes his body underwent in the process of healing and rehabilitation. Michael's new Spectre frame was nearing completion when he met Jakub, so it was only a matter of a few weeks before the artist could start devising a rich cast of characters forming a complex design scheme centred around the motif of the human bodies. They appear in all sizes and shapes; some painted in full colour, some drawn in outline; cycling, running, flying, cheering, embracing. The scheme is full of life and rich in details and ideas, brilliantly thought out and executed by hand.

“I believe that the rider and the bike should form one entity. A perfect fit for a perfect synergy.”

– Michael Moureček; FESTKA co-founder

THE ARTIST

Jakub Kois comes from Poland but has been living and working in Prague for many years. His favourite format is the poster and his favourite technique is silkscreen printing, for which he creates distinctive drawings and paintings, the most frequent subject of which are human figures, depicted mostly in thick, distinctive outlines. His drawing style and the colouring of his works evoke the mid-century modern style. Kois' pictures are melancholic and philosophical at times, but very often funny, bordering on cartoon jokes. Working with him on this project was an absolute pleasure thanks to his kind, accommodating approach.