Pavel Machotka
Professor, researcher, author, psychologist, painter. In the early 1980s, after years of research, university lectures, and writing about psychology and creativity and other painters, Machotka realized that the time had come for him to paint. After a few years, he began exhibiting his work in the Bay Area, including Gallery 30 in San Mateo, Faculty Gallery at the University of California at Santa Cruz, and Campbell-Thiebaud in San Francisco. He has been exhibiting regularly in Italy, where he now resides.

A native of Prague, Czechoslovakia, Machotka was born shortly before Hitler invaded his country. He endured Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia for six years. Then, in 1948, the Soviet communists took power and Machotka's family was forced to escape. Though the beginnings in this country were hard, Machotka was afforded opportunities here that Czechoslovakia under communism would never offer. 

At the age of 16, Machotka entered the University of Chicago, where he saw his first Cézanne painting. His life-long love of Cézanne's art has resulted in his giving lectures on Cézanne all over the world, a university course on Cézanne at UCSC, and two published books, Cézanne: Landscape Into Art and CÉZANNE The eye and the mind.

After Chicago, Machotka went on to receive his Ph.D. at Harvard University. In 1970, he joined the faculty at the University of California at Santa Cruz, where he founded the Psychology of Aesthetics department, and served as Provost of Porter College (then known as College Five), Chair of the Psychology Department, and Chair of the Senate Faculty. He has written articles and books on psychology, art, artists, and creativity.

Never believing he would see Czech soil again, Machotka returned to Prague in 1990 shortly after the fall of Communism. And in a twist of fate, 50 years to the week that he escaped from Czechoslovakia, he was bestowed with an honorary doctorate for his work in the arts and education from Charles University, on the occasion of the 650th anniversary.