MARTIN
ROUTA
Martin Routa (b. 1981, Prague) is a Czech visual artist whose multidisciplinary practice spans graffiti, painting, tattooing, and video art. He graduated in 2000 from the Václav Hollar Art School, where he studied classical techniques in drawing and visual communication.
From 2003 to 2012, Routa was an active member of the influential Czech media-art collective Ztohoven, known for its provocative actions and critical engagement with contemporary society. In 2006, he co-founded Pure A, a group dedicated to video art and live audiovisual installations presented in clubs, festivals, and urban environments.
In parallel with his conceptual and collaborative work, Routa has built a distinct practice as a tattoo artist. Since 2007, he has explored tattooing as both a technical discipline and an artistic medium. He worked in notable Prague studios including Hell, Tribo, and Bobek before founding his own atelier, where he also handcrafted tattoo needles. His visual language, whether on canvas, wall, or skin, reflects a unique synthesis of gestural abstraction, urban iconography, and meticulous linework.
Routa’s work has been presented in solo and group exhibitions across the Czech Republic and abroad, often situated at the intersection of contemporary art, subcultural practice, and embodied expression.
Selected Exhibitions
2024 – Kresby, Ukradená galerie, Děčín (solo)
2019 – die KUNST des Tätowierens, Czech Centre, Vienna (group)
2015 – Black Pop, Trafačka Gallery, Prague (solo)
2012 – A Znova (with Matěj Hájek & Jan Uldrich), Trafo Gallery, Prague
2011 – Trafačka: pět let poté, Trafačka, Prague (group)
