Josef Kurzava/Kurzawa (1907–1984) studied painting privately under Valentin Držkovic and Vladimír Kristin. Between the world wars he regularly exhibited in Ostrava with the Kunstring association of German artists, and later with the MSVU (Moravian-Silesian Fine Artists) group. After the Second World War he was active in the Union of Czechoslovak Artists in Ostrava. The career of Ostrava-born Josef Kurzava passed through several phases. In his early works (both landscapes and portraits) we can see typical features of Expressionism. His style later became somewhat calmer, especially in his landscapes from the Beskydy mountains and the region of Moravian Wallachia, though he also frequently depicted industrial landscapes from the Ostrava region. He worked mainly in oils and gouache. His colour schemes typically feature earthy tones.