Tom Samek came to Tasmania from Czechoslovakia in the late 60's and is well-known both for his cooking (St. Andrew's Inn, Prospect House and the Game Club ) as well as his painting, murals and three dimensional cut outs.

His etchings, particularly, have intrigued people with their distinct themes, double meanings and black humour. The etchings are hand-painted, sometimes in water-colour (A.S. stands for aqua series) and sometimes in mixed media, with a limited edition, usually of about 70.

Tom has completed a number of public commissions, the best known of which is probably the Ambulance Bay at the Royal Hobart Hospital, typical of Tom's refusal to take life too seriously!

Recent developments in his work have been in the area of theatre set design, with acclamation from both the public and the critics for the way in which the setting took on a life of its own and became a central force in the play, and also the mural designed for the lobby of the Federation Concert Hall, nearly 50 metres of "drawing with a saw" on musical themes.

Tom has exhibited extensively in Tasmania, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra. He is represented in public and private collections throughout Australia and overseas.

The etchings shown here are just a small representation of the work available. Every year Tom adds a few more to the collection, and uses these as a springboard for the development of larger works.