The Apostle of the Stars

„My dream job as a child wasn’t to be a painter, but an astronomer." – Marie Brožová

Since childhood, Marie had been captivated by the cosmos, a passion ignited by her grandfather, an amateur astronomer. Instead of reading traditional children's primers, she poured over star atlases. Before she even entered the first grade, she could locate all the major constellations in the night sky. Her determination to become an astronomer was further fueled by the iconic Czech sci-tech TV show Windows to the Cosmos Wide Open, hosted by the legendary astrophysicist Jiří Grygar. In the end, it was advanced mathematics that kept her from a scientific career. Yet, she never lost her devotion to the night sky. In 1997, she completed a rigorous astronomy course at the Prague Planetarium under the guidance of astronomer Pavel Příhoda, graduating third in her class.

Marie returned to the Prague Planetarium in 2006. She managed to inspire its director at the time, Marcel Grün, with her project, and he enthusiastically dubbed her live-drawing event With a Colored Pencil into the Cosmos. Turning the plaza in front of the planetarium into her open-air studio, she drew the vibrant masterpiece From the Life of Stars.

Marie also finds a rich wellspring of inspiration in astrology, effortlessly bridging the gap between science and symbolism. She successfully captured the portraits of all the planets across all zodiac signs in a massive collaboration with Czech famous astrologer Markéta Vostrá. Since 2015, Marie has created ninety-two original artworks for this collection of astrological guidebooks. Her illustrations also feature in a popular annual lunar diary. To celebrate new releases, Marie regularly hosted intimate astrological talk shows with Vostrá at Gallery Pastelka, and the duo has also taken the stage at large-scale venues, including the Evolution Festival at the Prague Exhibition Grounds and the popular online channel Paths to Oneself.

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