Days of Wonder with Maja Hamplová

It's hard to imagine that you would find a space so filled with stories on this tree-lined street in the Vinohrady neighborhood. Every available nook is taken up by books, sketches, candles, vases, objects, signs, plants, memorabilia, artifacts, and ironic statements. The closest to the door above a turntable reads: "A small fact… you are going to die, it's coming." It would be a hard emotion to swallow if it was not contradicted by the decorated Christmas cookies that she was given by her friend and actress Anja Geislerová's sister. "They are so beautiful I couldn't bring myself to throw them away, so I keep them here as a memory of a lovely time together."… and this is how the tour de force begins.

"I see love and tenderness in every person I feel close to or connected to. And I guess I can somehow see or empathise with where those people are hurt. And that leads me to the natural desire to nurture them or surround them with security. It does not take away anything from me. It's a very natural process."

Maja is excited, dressed in Port of Stars Joan Dress, sipping tea, pointing out the muse of Kamil Lhoták, or Frantisek Skala's work retelling of Headlands in America. Her heroes, from poets to writers, line her walls and live within her spirit. She has a sense of activism, bringing voices to these heroes, from her idols to everyday people who have survived something harrowing in their life. "I find it truly amazing that thanks to my work, I can give a voice to someone who is not much heard. From bringing forward unknown human stories in producing films to revealing unfamiliar faces through my castings.

She talks about the objects she has found at second-hand shops, like a traditional Georgian straw brush from a petrol station outside Prague or a blue rocking horse she stumbled on one day. As she sits rocking back and forth, with her goodness and childlike nuances, it is hard not to see her as a modern Joan of Arc. An everyday girl striving to bring value and honesty to her world, present and conscious that her role is to participate and create something truly beautiful.

Music is instrumental in her everyday life, with one particular singer revered most: "Devendra Banhart is a connection of multiple things I deeply love — music, visual arts, poetry, and aesthetics." A huge smile spreads across her heart-shaped face, "… and here is the playlist from his concert that I took from the stage and framed."

Text and Photos: Yasmin K Hejduk
Featuring: Joan dress