loader image

About

Biography, awards and recognitions, exhibitions

Select category

Select category

Select category

Introduction

“Reverberating with imagination and allegory, Katarína Vavrová’s figurative paintings undoubtedly represent the peak of the imaginative and poetic line in Slovak contemporary art. Her permanent dialogues on human alienation and reconciliation, on the emotional states of the soul swept by the whirl of struggles and doubts, are exceptional and unique.”

PhDr. Danica Lovišková

Biography

  • 1964, Born 23 August
  • 1979 – 1983, Secondary School of Applied Arts – Department of Graphic Arts
  • 1984 – 1990, Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava – Department of Book Illustration
      (Albín Brunovský and Karol Ondreička)
  • 1989, Scholarship at Accademia delle Belle Arti, Perugia, Italy 
  • She works in graphic arts, Ex Libris prints, painting and drawing.

We have met with the name of Katarína Vavrová on the Slovak art scene since the beginning of the 1990s. Although she studied book illustration with professors Albín Brunovský and Karol Ondreička at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava (1990), her artistic expression gradually developed in the interest of drawing, graphics and painting techniques. Already the collection of drawings Day and Night from 1989 to 1991 clearly suggests that it is a natural and surprisingly distinct talent, for which the orientation on figural creation will be decisive. The basic attributes of her artistic expression are imagination, attention to detail, precise drawing and sensitive color vision. The author is a brilliant drawing artist who, through several sovereign lines, once dynamic, sometimes disciplined, can capture the character, essence and soul of the motive.
In her early paintings in the early 1990s, the author puts more emphasis on drawing, and color only emotionally completes the story. Gradually, however, the basic principle of image construction is being formulated – the contrast between easily pen-drawn sketched details and precise painted motifs.
During the 1990s, Katarína Vavrov fills and develops the whole area of ​​paintings and drawing gives way to the painting of the plot, idea, composition, or creates a balance between the two components. Gradually he creates his own painting technique, combining gouache, pastel, air-brush and ink.
On the surface of images, there are several stories, motifs, spaces, human characters, among whom we seek connections. The works are full of hidden meanings. The author amazes us with the thoughtfulness of the composition, its interplay in a number of segments, details. With characteristic lightness, ease, courage and imagination, he paints and draws his stories.
The thematic range of her paintings, graphic works and drawings is very wide. Katarína Vavrová, very sensitive and receptive to all impulses of reality, extends to topics long past and present. Equally close is her literature, poetry, music, religious, mythological themes and the world that surrounds her. Literary characters, biblical stories, childhood memories, travel experiences (Thailand, Korea, China and especially Italy) come alive in works to fill them with new meanings.
The central motive of her stories is a woman. Beautiful, noble, tender, fragile and courageous, mysterious, vulnerable and wounded, shrouded in secrets, sadness and joy. The greatest emphasis is placed on the face in which she concentrates all emotions, the essence of the story. Sensitive brush strokes and fine color rollers, precisely, down to the smallest detail, model her typically oval elongated form with both live and sad eyes. Its almost renaissance beauty, sensual grace and grandeur are highlighted by many remarkable details – ornaments, jewelry, flowers, beautiful toilets, through which a fragment of the landscape or plant ornamentation is surprisingly winding. They are once richly shirred, sometimes economically modeled and only partially overlapping the sensual female body. Their guides are mostly lightly sketched and mysterious men. Men humbled, desperate and challenging, affecting the rings of life, suggesting permanent dialogues about alienation and approach. Sometimes characters do not communicate with each other, they are deep in themselves, in their thoughts, thoughts, they live their own lives.
These sparkling stories about the very essence of human existence are surrounded and endowed with a wealth of wonderful and magical details. Fragments of architecture, landscape cuts, flowers, fruits, noble animals, colorful birds, butterflies, fish, bees, plants, interior details and segments of the natural environment form part of the figural scenes. Often angels, their wings or feathers appear as guardians and protectors of our certainty and destiny. Many details are not subject to the earth’s attraction, they float, levitate to enrich and enhance the plot of the work.
The rhythm of the line, the subtle drawing of the hand, softly embracing and characterizing faces and shapes, is enhanced by color. Once they are generously conceived areas of pure color, sometimes delicate, tender color rollers. Glow, it is rich, bold and soft, pulsating with unusual shades, halftones, sets and chords. She is almost demoniacally refined, dreamy and intensely recognizes the chords of our moods. Its trembling vibrations are enhanced by a specially crafted handmade Japanese paper, which by its unmistakable textures and structures creates an interesting illusive space and multiplies the emotional charge of the statement. Beautiful embossed lines of paper surface are used for original layering of structures, colors, shapes and stories. 

Illustrations are an integral part of Katarína Vavrová’s work. Already her diploma work from 1989 on illustrations to the book by Grozdana Olujicova Heavenly River indicated the basic attributes of her original illustrative expression: surprisingly mature fantasy charge, sense of impressive details, strong colorist feel, whole organically composed of many beautiful details, brilliantly precise, perfect line and a master characterization abbreviation well understood and decrypted. The unusual figurative, emotional and inothy saturated figurative work of Katarína Vavrová represents the pinnacle of the imaginative-poetic line of contemporary Slovak visual art and has an irreplaceable position in its richly structured structure.
PhDr. Danica Lovišková

Awards and recognitions

  • 1988, SFVU Prize for Illustration, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
  • 1989, Prize of Galéria mladých (Gallery of the Young), Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
  • 1989, Premio speziale della giuria grafica (Special Prize of the Jury for Graphics) – Tolentino, Italy
  • 1990, Martin Benka Prize, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
  • 1990, Grand Prix, international cartoon festival drawing and graphic arts, Budapest, Hungary
  • 1991, 3rdPrize in Graphics, international cartoon festival – drawing and graphic arts, Gabrovo, Bulgaria
  • 1991, Prize of the Jury – International cartoon festival Simavi, Ankara, Turkey
  • 1996, Honour Medal award, 16thInternational Biennial Exhibition of Modern Ex Libris , Malbork, Poland
  • 1996, Honour Prize award, International Biennial in drawing for the year 96. Racibórz, Poland
  • 1997, Prize of the Slovak Government forrepresenting the Slovak Republic abroad, Bratislava, Slovakia
  • 1997, Merit Prize, International Postage Stamp Design Contest, Tokyo, Japan
  • 1997, Honorary Mention award, 1st International Biennial of Mini-print, Cluj, Romania.
  • 1997, Honour Medal award, 2nd International Ex Libris Graphic Contest, Gliwice, Poland
  • 1997, 1stPrize for Drawing – International Exhibition of Miniature Art, Toronto, Canada
  • 1998,Honour Medal for Ex Libris at the 17thInternational Biennial Exhibition of Modern Ex Libris, Malbork, Poland
  • 1998, Prize of the Slovak Ex Libris Society, 2ndInternational Triennial Exhibition of Ex Libris, Bratislava, Slovakia
  • 1998, 3rdPrize Caixa Ourense, V. Bienal Internacional de Grabado, (5thInternational Biennial of Graphic Arts), Spain
  • 1999,Honour Medal, International Ex Libris Contest, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland
  • 2000, Honour Medal, 18thInternational Biennial Exhibition of Modern Ex Libris, Malbork, Poland
  • 2000, Honour Prize, International Exhibition of Minigraphics and Minipaintings, Pisa 2000, Italy
  • 2000, Honour Prize for Graphics from Art Museum Ibiza, 16thBiennial Ibiza Graphic 2000, Spain
  • 2001,Honour Medal, 4thInternational Ex Libris, Graphics Competion, Gliwice, Poland
  • 2002,Honour Medal, 19thInternational Biennial Exhibition of Modern Ex Libris, Malbork 2002, Poland
  • 2002, Japan Art Museum Award, International, Mini-Print Triennial 2002, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2002, SSPE President Award, Eroticism in Art,
  • 2002, International Exhibition of Ex Libris and
  • 2002, Mini-prints, Havířov, Czech Republic
  • 2002, Mención honorifica for graphics (Honourable mention for Graphics), VII Bienal Internacional de Grabado (7thInternational Biennial of Graphic Arts), Ourense, Spain
  • 2002, Prize of Varese Museum, International Ex Libris Competition “Bibliophilism or the Book Love”, Varese, Italy
  • 2003,Honorable Mentions (Honour Medal), the 1st International Ex Libris Competition, Ankara 2003, Turkey
  • 2003, Grand Prize – International Print and Drawing Exhibition on the occasion of 60thanniversary celebration of Silpakorn University, Thailand, in the presence of Princess of Thailand.
  • 2003, 2ndPrize, 5thInternational Competition for Ex Libris Gliwice, Poland
  • 2005,Prize, 4thTriennial Havířov 2005 – Gallant and Erotic Work in Ex Libris and Small Graphics, Havířov, Czech Republic
  • 2005, Medal of Honour, 11thInternational Biennial of Small Graphic Form and Ex Libris. Ostrów Wielkopolski 2005, Poland
  • 2005, Grand Prix, Mini-Print Triennial 2005, Tama Art University Tokyo International 2005, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2006,Martin Benka Prize, Bratislava, Slovakia
  • 2007, The Ministry of Culture publishing house for the overall artistic and technical quality books FO ART Publishing, Ltd. for the book Katarina Vavrová. Painting and Graphics
  • 2008, Minister of Culture for 2007.
  • 2008,Honorable Mention 32 bookplates Biennale in Beijing, China.
  • 2010, Award for 2010 FISAE Federation International Societies of bookplates, Price Albin Brunovsky.
  • 2011, Significantly awarded the main prize for the graphics “morning person.” Republic of China, Guangzhou International Competition Graphics, Academy of Fine Arts.
  • 2013, House of Arts award for Bibiana Bratislava accompanying illustrations and editing the book Daphnis and Chole – the most beautiful books of Slovakia
  • 2014, Award for the accompanying illustrations of books and heavenly river-price Bibiana Bratislava House of Art for Most Beautiful Books of the summer of 2014, Slovakia
  • 2016, Identification Code of Slovakia Award for significant contribution to culture

Exhibitions

Selected Solo Exhibitions
  • 1993, Bulgarian Cultural Centre, Bratislava, Slovakia
  • 1994, P.A.N. Amsterdam-Art Fair, the Netherlands, Katarína Vavrová – painting, drawing
  • 1995, Gallery De Twee Pawen, Den Haag, the Netherlands – Katarína Vavrová – painting, drawing.
  • 1996, Gallery Contrast, Brussels, Belgium – painting.
  • 1997, Galéria Michalský dvor, Bratislava, Slovakia
  • 1997, Emlak Sanat Galerisi, Istanbul, Turkey, Vladimír Gažovič – Katarína Vavrová – graphics, painting, drawing
  • 1998, British Congress Centre, Ankara, Turkey, Vladimír Gažovič – Katarína Vavrová
  • 1999, Eprevue D‘Artiste Gallery, Antwerpen, Belgium
  • 1999, Galerie Simona, Ostrava, Czech Republic, Katarína Vavrová – painting, drawing
  • 2000, Galéria Michalský dvor, Bratislava, Slovakia – graphics, painting, drawing
  • 2000, Západočeská energetika, Plzeň, Czech Republic, Katarína Vavrová – graphics
  • 2000, Don Giovanni Hotel, Prague, Czech Republic, Marián Komáček – Katarína Vavrová
  • 2001, Hoechst Biotika, Martin, Slovakia, painting on Japanese paper
  • 2001, Turčianska galéria, Martin, Slovakia, Katarína Vavrová – painting, drawing, graphics
  • 2002, Galerie u Jákoba, Opava, Czech Republic, World is full of elves painting, drawing, graphics
  • 2002, Trenčianska galéria, “Mysteries” – painting, drawing, graphics
  • 2003, Schriftkunst Museum Bartl, Petenbach, Austria, Katarína Vavrová – Ex Libris
  • 2003, Katarína Vavrová – drawing, painting on Japanese paper,Gallery Artgraph, Nagoya, Japan,
  • 2003, Katarína Varová – graphics, Ex Libris, Gloss & Coffee, Nagoya, Japan
  • 2004, Galéria Michalský dvor, Bratislava, Slovakia, Art and communications, Nagoya exhibition, Japan, Ex Libris
  • 2004, Galéria SPP, Bratislava, Slovakia – graphics, combination of techniques on paper
  • 2004, Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, USA – graphics, combination of techniques on paper
  • 2004, Buburindo Gallery, Koba, Japan – drawing, painting, graphics
  • 2004, Galerie Michalská 1, Prague, Czech Republic, Katarína Vavrová – graphics
  • 2004, M&K Galerie, Jihlava, Czech Republic – graphics, painting, drawing on paper
  • 2005, Galéria Salla Terena – Presidential Palace, Bratislava, Slovakia
  • 2005, Gallery Artgraph, Nagoya, Japan, Katarína Vavrová – graphics
  • 2005, Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, USA – graphics, drawing, painting
  • 2005, Katarína Vavrová and Jaromír Gargulák – Parliament of the Czech Republic, under the auspices of Pavel Dostál, Prague, Czech Republic
  • 2005, Müller Gallery, Kopenhagen, Denmark – Ex Libris, graphics
  • 2006, Eprevue D‘Artiste Gallery, Antwerpen, Belgium, Jaromír Gargulák, Katarína Vavrová–graphics, painting, drawing on paper
  • 2006, Klub kultury Uherské Hradiště – drawing, graphics, painting, Ex Libris
  • 2007,Galerie KS Svět, Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic – Dream Seekers – painting, drawing, graphics
  • 2007, Galerie Antik, Slaný u Prahy, Czech Republic, Katarína Vavrová
  • 2009, Solo exhibition at the Gallery Michalsky dvor, Bratislava.
  • 2010, Solo exhibition, When love is not just words, Municipal House Opava, Czech Republic.
  • 2010, Solo exhibition Gallery Crears, Roznov pod Radhostem, Czech Republic.
  • 2013, Solo exhibition Mirbachov palác- confession of my father – curator of the exhibition Danica Lovišková
  • 2014, Solo exhibition at the Gallery of Miloš Alexander Bazovského-confession of my otcovi – curator Danica
  • Lovišková.
  • 2015, Exhibition Literary Museum SNK Martin – solo exhibition Heavenly River, curator Danica Lovišková
  • 2015, Gallery of Kysuce Oščadnica – solo exhibition “After a night Pink morning”
  • 2016, Museum- Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum – solo exhibition “So far,” curator Danica Lovišková.
  • 2016,Tatra Gallery in Poprad, Slovakia – Katarína Vavrová and Milan Vavro, Locked words, a comprehensive retrospective exhibition, curator Danica Lovišková.
  • 2017,edition of the the book Poetry Milan Rufus and presentation for the exhibition MGart gallery Považská Bystrica.
  • 2018,Solo exhibition South Korea-Soul gallery H -graphics and paintings
  • 2019, exhibition gallery under City Hall, Zlin, Czech republic.
Selected Group Exhibitions
  • 1989, Bratislava, Piešťany – SK, Budapest – H,
  • 1989, Basel – CH, Paris – F, Amsterdam, Haag – N, Tolentino, Pescara,Perugia – I, Gabrovo – BG, Ratiborz, Majdanek – PL, Cleveland – USA
  • 1995, Slovak Graphics and Painting, Pinter Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany
  • 1995, 1stTrienniale of Ex Libris, Bratislava City Gallery, Slovakia
  • 1996, 13thBienniale of Graphics, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
  • 1996, 16thInternational Biennale of Ex Libris, Castle Museum, Malbork, Poland
  • 1996, 6thBiennale of Graphic Arts, Caixa Ourense, Spain
  • 1996, International Drawing Competition, Cleveland, USA
  • 1997,Association of Graphic Artists Graphic, Point, Graz, Austria
  • 1997, 2ndanniversary of Galéria Michalský dvor Gallery, Bratislava, Slovakia
  • 1997, 7thInternational Biennale of Graphic Arts, Ostrów Wielkopolski Museum, Poland
  • 1997, 9thBiennale of Graphic Arts, Varna 97, Bulgaria
  • 1997, International Small Print Competition, Del Bello Gallery, Toronto, Canada
  • 1997, Biennale of Graphic Arts, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
  • 1998, Modern Slovak Graphic Arts, The Palace of Europe, Strasburg, France
  • 1998, 2ndMini Print Triennial, Tama University, Tokyo, Japan
  • 1998, 5th Biennale of Graphic Art, Caixa Ourense, Spain
  • 1998, International Exhibition of Graphic Arts, Kanagawa, Japan
  • 1998, 2ndEx Libris Trienniale Bratislava, Bratislava City Gallery, Slovakia
  • 1998, Agart, International Festival of Graphic Art, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • 1998, Slovak Art Today, Art Gallery, Munich, Germany
  • 1998, 17thInternational Bienniale of Modern Ex Libris, Malbork 98, Poland
  • 1999, The Masters of Graphic Arts, 5thInternational Biennale, Municipal Museum of Arts, Gyor, Hungary
  • 1999, Paralelle Figurative, Palazzo Braschi, Forli, Italy
  • 2000, Art and Printmaking Techniques, 2ndInternational Contest, Cremona, Italy
  • 2000, Habsburgefest Schloss Halbturn, Burgenland, Austria
  • 2000, 1stCheju International Art Contest, Soul, Korea
  • 2000, Lila Europe 2000, Contest of Graphic Arts and Painting, Sweden
  • 2000, International Ex Libris Competion “Giubileo 2000”, Pescara, Italy
  • 2000, European Small Graphics and Ex Libris, Galerie “U prstenu”, Prague, Czech Republic
  • 2000, 6th Biennale of International, Graphics Art Competition, Caixa Ourense, Spain
  • 2000, 6thTrienniale of Graphics and Painting 2000, International contest, Majdanek, Poland
  • 2000, 18thInternational Biennale of Modern Ex Libris, Malbork 2000, Poland
  • 2001, 9thInternational Bienniale of Small Graphics and Ex Libris, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland,
  • 2001, Galéria Art Deco, Bratislava, Slovakia
  • 2001, Graphics and Drawing, Oldřich Kulhánek, Katarína Vavrová, Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
  • 2001, Krone, Schwert & Shaukelpferd, Schloss Halbturn, Austria
  • 2001, Katarína Vavrová, Igor Benca, Karol Felix, Galéria Slovenskej sporiteľne, Bratislava, Slovakia
  • 2001, International Ex Libris Graphic Contest Gliwice 2001, Poland
  • 2001, 3rdEx Libris Trienniale, Bratislava 2001, Slovakia
  • 2002,Maroš Komáček – Katarína Vavrová, Galéria Artemis, Bratislava, Slovakia
  • 2002, Association of Graphic Artists G Point, Galéria Danubiana, Čunovo, Slovakia
  • 2002, Week of Slovak Culture, UN Palace, Geneva, Switzerland
  • 2002, Graphic Arts of Eastern Europe, 2 collections of Marvin Bolotsky, Manhattan Graphics Center,
    New York City, USA
  • 2002, Gallant and Erotic Works in Ex Libris and Small Graphics. Havířov, Czech Republic.
  • 2002, 19th International Biennale of Modern Ex Libris, Malbork 2002, Poland
  • 2003,Slovak Art, Trontheim 2003, Oslo, Norway
  • 2003, Group Exhibition “Authors from Europe, Koplin del Rio Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
  • 2003, 7thInternational Biennale of Miniature Art, Gornij Milanovač 2003, Jugoslavia
  • 2003, 4thInternational Contest “Man and Fish”, Greece
  • 2003, 1stInternational Ex Libris Competition, Ankara 2003, Ankara, Turkey
  • 2003, 3rdInternational Graphic Art Competition, Comune di Francavilla al Mare, Italy
  • 2003, Trienniale of Graphic Art/prints, Museum and Gallery of Bitola, Macedonia
  • 2003, 5thInternational Contest of Graphic Art and Ex Libris, Gliwice 2003, Poland
  • 2004,Sparkasse Bank, Worth/Donau, Nuremberg, Germany – Slovak and Czech Art
  • 2004, Modern Slovak Graphic Art, Artgraph, Nagoya, Japan
  • 2004, 5thTrienniale of Small Graphics, Vilnius, Lithuania
  • 2005, Galleri Tonne A.S, Oslo, Norway
  • 2005,Graphics – Oldřich Kulhánek, Katarína Vavrová
  • 2005,Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, USA – Authors from Eastern Europe
  • 2005,Galerie Arnie, Brno, Czech Republic – Common Exhibition of Czech and Slovak Art
  • 2005,Schloss Halbturn, Austria – Queens-Courtesans-Noblewomen-Concubines Slovak authors
  • 2005,Fukka Gallery, Tokyo, Japan – Dušan Kállay, Marina Richter, Katarína Vavrová
  • 2005,6thInternational Graphic Competition Gliwice 2005, Poland
  • 2005,20thInternational Bienniale of Modern Ex Libris, Malbork 2005, Poland
  • 2006,12thInternational Contest of Graphic Arts and Drawing, Biennial R.OC. 2006, L‘Escape 16, Paris, France, “Children of Danube” – group exhibition – M. Vavro, J. Gargulák, M. Lacko, K. Vavrová
  • 2007,Mona Lisa – south wing of the New Town Hall in Brno, Czech Republic – Czech and Slovak authors
  • 2007, Galerie Dílo, Brno, Czech Republic – Jaromír Gargulák, Oldřich Kulhánek, Katarína Vavrová
  • 2007, Mona Lisa 2006, Allegretti Gallery, Torino, Italy
  • 2007, Pálffy Palace below the Castle – presentation exhibition of Slovak authors Bienniale of Slovak Graphic Arts, Paris, France
  • 2009, Vavrová, Tasovský, Gargulák, exhibitions Sala EU Congress Brussels, Belgium.
  • 2009, Enduring Freedom, Igor Kitzberger – Katarina Vavrová Gallery 12. Czech Republic.
  • 2009, Cité Internationale des Arts. Slovak authors in Paris, France.
  • 2009, Gallery Picasso, Felix – Vavrová, Káhyra, Egypt

All artwork is under copyright © Katarína Vavrová