Average height, brown hair, dark eyes. Katja is a painter, born in 1979 in Murska Sobota, Slovenia. Her adventure on the battlefield called Art begun as early as her high school years when she joined LindArt-Young Artists Association in 1995. This gesture highly determined her artistic path while giving an opportunity to be engaged in the regional art scene on both sides of the Slovenian-Hungarian border. She annually attended summer Fine Arts Symposiums and participated on numerous group exhibitions, both nationally and internationally.
2003 Katja undertook a student exchange to Dublin’s National College of Art and Design. Being exposed to this culture shock – i.e. different teaching methods gradually purified her artistic expression and interest, bringing clean colours, space, and manipulation of perception into the center of her research. 2010 she received her MFA in Painting from Academy of Fine Arts, Ljubljana, and since travels the world as a freelancer.
While her artistic research regularly deals with the relationship between a painting and its beholder, the means that she uses to address the viewer unpredictably vary: from humorous almost illustrative imagery all the way to geometrical illusionism.
My practice is rather introverted, focused on the concrete, physical reality of the medium in use, i.e. painting. Although constructing and playfulness are essential parts of my creative work, the subject of my recent works can best be best understood within the question: “what happens when we look at a painting?” and thus explore the vitality of the relationship between a painting and its beholder, where possibilities of manipulation are of great importance.
I build the painting from the most basic visual elements: (flat) surface/shape, colour, and a line. I try to assemble these in such a way that the works, by cross-questioning the concept of perspective and the possibilities of a shaped canvas, play with the illusion of depth, hoping to “confuse the spectator”.
All this whilst maintaining or even emphasizing the objectivity of the individual painting. The image does not exist merely within its frame but is part of the physical space of which an essential component is also the viewer. In other words, I strive for the viewer perceiving him/herself over contemplation to establish an “intimate” connection with the observed object. The linear drawing often continues on the sides of the canvas, being an additional trigger calling the spectator to be active while observing the “scene”; as the image changes with our focus and/or standpoint.
The term constructing and the DIY mindset that comes with it has been a part of my everyday life since I can remember. This is hardly a surprise, given the fact that I actually grew up in a carpentry workshop. Under the supervision of my father, I collected wood waste to polish and compose them into unique toys.
- 2010 – MFA degree / painting, Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Ljubljana; SLO
- 2005 – BFA degree / painting, Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Ljubljana; SLO
- 2003 – student exchange at National College of Art and Design, Dublin, IRL
2007- 2009 / worked with Eva Vasari within the tandem artIchoke
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS – PROJECTS:
- 2021 – A REMIX OF IMAGINARY INTERACTIVITY / Karinthy Szalon, Budapest, HU
- 2020 – VERSUS / duo show with VETŐ Orsolya Lia : Viltin Gallery, Budapest, HU
- 2019 – CORRELATION GAMING: THE ART OF CARELESSNESS AND ITS CONTRADICTIONS : Gönczi Gallery, Zalaegerszeg, HU
- 2014 – »Never say never« : Ante Trstenjak Gallery, Ljutomer, SLO
- 2012 – Skodelica toplega mleka : Kino šiška / kamera, Ljubljana, SLO
- 2011 – Short circuit : instinc, Singapore, SG
- 2009 – !gnite : (collaboration works with Yeo Shih Yun) The Arts Loft, Singapore, SG
- 2009 – REFLECTIONS : instinc, Singapore, SG
- 2009 – soulstriptease [artIchoke] : Gallery TKG, Trieste, IT
- 2009 – drawings [artIchoke] : Gallery Lek, Ljubljana, SLO
- 2008 – SHORT CIRCUIT : painting exhibition, Gallery Srečišče, Ljubljana, SLO
- 2008 – drawings [artIchoke] : SZI, Vienna, AT
- 2008 – drawings : Der Retzhof Gallery, Letring, AT
- 2008 – soulstriptease [artIchoke] : Gallery RRRudolf, Maribor, SLO
- 2008 – drawings & sculptures [artIchoke] : Galerie der Reiffeisenbank; Anger; AT
- 2008 – soulstriptease [artIchoke] : ega, Vienna, AT
- 2007 – soulstriptease [artIchoke] : Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia, London, UK
- 2007 – NAPLAVINE/ALLUVIA : painting exhibition, Gallery Prežihov Voranc, Ljubljana, SLO
- 2007 – soulstriptease [artIchoke] : Banffy Gallery, Lendava, SLO
- 2007 – soulstriptease [artIchoke] : Werkbund Gallery, Graz, AT
- 2007 – soulstriptease [artIchoke] : Red Gallery, Ljubljana, SLO
- 2005 – “paint my feet” (project with Andrej Carli) : Lonjer, IT
- 2003 – cooked milk : drawings, The Front Lounge, Dublin, IRL
- 2003 – CATAPULT : drawings exhibition with Marianne Männi, Juice, Dublin, IRL
- 2002 – csináltatni kepeket : painting project, Gallery Sinagoga, Lendava, SLO
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS – PROJECTS:
- 2023 – miniMADImax : Saxon Art Gallery, Budapest, HU
- 2022 – Salon des réalités nouvelles, Paris, FR
- 2022 – POMURJE : Vžigalica Gallery, Ljubljana, SLO
- 2022 – momental mente : Moderna Gallery, Ljubljana, SLO
- 2022 – tja-nazaj : Liszt Inštitut, Ljubljana, SLO
- 2022 – Oda-vissza : Faur Zsofi Gallery, Budapest, HU
- 2022 – RDEČA / SEEING RED : Equrna Gallery, Ljubljana, SLO
- 2022 – absurdity is my favourite feeling : Viltin Gallery, Budapest, HU
- 2021 – ART MATTERS 4 : Gallery Biesenbach, DE
- 2021 – ART STAYS : Ptuj, SLO
- 2021 – THE PAINTING NOW : Monfort, Portorož, SLO
- 2021 – MODRO/BLUE : Equrna Gallery, Ljubljana, SLO
- 2021 – THE PAINTING NOW : Galeija Nova Gorica, SLO
- 2020 – ART MATTERS 2 : Gallery Biesenbach, DE
- 2020 – VI. Zalaegerszegi Szalon Kiállítás : Városi Hangverseny- és Kiállítóterem, Zalaegerszeg, HU
- 2019 – COLORFIELD : Viltin Gallery, Budapest, HU
- 2019 – SZÜRET : ÚjMűhely Gallery, Szentendre, HU
- 2019 – FELFEDEZŐK / EXPLORERS 0.2 : YBL Budai kreativ ház, Budapest, HU
- 2019 – 4X NEOBREMENJENO : Gallery Equrna, Ljubljana, SLO
- 2018 – V. Zalaegerszegi Szalon Kiállítás : Városi Hangverseny- és Kiállítóterem, Zalaegerszeg, HU
- 2017 – kint-bent : Grotta, Tata, HU
- 2016 – inteam : Szombathely keptar, Szombathely, HU
- 2016 – Naključja IV : Gallery Murska Sobota, Murska Sobota, SLO
- 2016 – Ogledalo duše : Várnegyed Galéria, Budapest, HU
- 2016 – IV. Zalaegerszegi Szalon Kiállítás : Városi Hangverseny- és Kiállítóterem, Zalaegerszeg, HU
- 2015 – V. Ars Pannonica : Embassy of the Republic of Hungary, Vienna, AT
- 2015 – V. Ars Pannonica : FLUX Gallery, Budapest, HU
- 2015 – Fénycsapda : Bánffy Gallery, Lendava, SLO
- 2014 – MUZE at month of design Ljubljana : Dunajska 123, Ljubljana, SLO
- 2014 – Color Arts Fesztivál : ex-MMIK, Zalaegerszeg, HU
- 2014 – “Una citta dove lo spirito creativo entusiasma e soddisfa: Mostra di artisti sloveni da Lendva”: Palazzo Cecchini, Cordovado, IT
- 2013 – Untitled taped forms : Galerie sonderwunsh, Nussbaumen, CH
- 2013 – Recent works : GAlerie sonderwunsh, Nussbaumen, CH
- 2013 – XVI. Mednarodna likovna kolonija : Ljubljana Križanke, SLO
- 2013 – Rejtőzködő Muravidék : Magyarság háza, Budapest, HU
- 2012 – “és vegyünk rajta egy üveg bort…” : MMIK – Médium Galéria, Szombathely, HU
- 2011 – Squares invasion : INSTINC, Singapore, SG
- 2011 – Együtt : Balatoni museum, Keszthely, HU
- 2011 – Magyar fesztészet napja : Malom galleria, Szentendre, HU
- 2011 – TRANSCOM.hu : Kortárs Magyar Galéria, Dunajská Streda, SK
- 2011 – Mladi umetniki pomurja : Galerija murska sobota, SLO
- 2011 – fore : instinc, SLOngapore, SG
- 2009 – ArtJoke(r)s : instinc (partner program of the SLOngapore Art Show ’09; Art is___?), SG
- 2009 – 20 years after [artIchoke] : MOYA, Vienna, AT
- 2008 – premiera17 : Gallery for contemporary art, Celje, SLO
- 2008 – “goodbye Hiro!” : Galerie Washaus, Berlin, DE
- 2008 – Artville ’08 : Tempelhof, Berlin, DE
- 2008 – Fauna [artIchoke] : Workshop gallery, Bialystok, PL
- 2008 – 6th international comics’ showroom : SKC, Srećna galerija, Beograd, RS
- 2008 – 2.m (multi-,inter-, neo-, trans-, …) : Gallery Miklova hiša, Ribnica, SLO
- 2008 – Vabljeni mladi 08 : Gallery DLUM, Maribor, SLO
- 2008 – Mladi ustvarjalci Pomurja : Gallery Murska Sobota, Murska Sobota, SLO
- 2008 – “DRAW IN” [artIchoke]: 00130Gallery, Helsinki, FIN
- 2007 – MIXED SHOW-CONTEMPORARY BALKAN ART : Gallery SULUV, Novi Sad, RS
- 2007 – KULTUR DER LETZTEN DINGE [artIchoke]: Künstlerhaus Graz, AT
- 2007 – Terminal00 [artIchoke]: Westbourne Studios, London, UK
- 2007 – exhibition of works by Artists from Lendava : Várnegyed Galéria, Budapest, HU
- 2006 – 7. Slovenian Biennial of Illustration : Gallery CD, Ljubljana, SLO
- 2005 – exhibition of works from the LINDart collection : Gallery Írókéz, Szombathely, HU
- 2004 – Exhibition of graduands at the Academy of Fine Arts Ljubljana : Gallery Murska Sobota, Murska Sobota, SLO
- 2004 – Unsere Nachbarn : Kunst & Wirtschaftshaus Rohrbach, Weistrach, AT
- 2004 – Unsere Nachbarn : TIZ ST. Florian, St.Florian, AT
- 2002 – Komplemente parade (art project): Zalaegerszeg, HU
International Artist Residencies & symposiums
- AVG 2021 : Steel Sculptural Symposium of Kecskemét, HU
- AVG 2017 : International Art Colony Hegyvidek, Budapest, HU
- JUL 2014 : 51. Painters colony Izlake Zagorje, Izlake, SLO
- JUL 2013 : 16. International Art Colony Križanke, Ljubljana, SLO
- JAN – APR 2011 : A.I.R. @ INSTINC, Singapore
- SEP 2009 : A.I.R. @ INSTINC, Singapore
- AVG 2009 : Művészetek Megyéje – Zala II., Zalaegerszeg/Balatongyörök, HU
- AVG 2008 : Művészetek Megyéje – Zala I., Zalaegerszeg/Felsőrajk, HU
- JUL 2008 : LindArt “co-operate” Vol. II, Lendava, SLO
- JUL 2007 : LindArt “co-operate” Vol. I, Lendava, SLO
- JUL 1997-2006 : LindArt MMLK, Lendava, SLO
- MAY 2008 : VINO-ART 5, Dobrovnik, SLO
- JUN 2004 : ARTeden, Lonjer, IT