Maria Slovakova | The Work
Statement
Brightness of the colours, simple shapes, thick black outline, honesty within and a smile.
Maria Slovakova has been active as an artist since her teenage. She was raised in Czechoslovakia, but UK already saw her drawings sometime in the early 90’s after members of the legendary band The Moonflowers started publishing them as part of their promo materials. Then, after establishing a studio on the same street where Rembrandt used to live, she became an active member of the local alternative artist community in Amsterdam, This is where a new world was born, titled The Land of Garlandyolks. Characters of this land re-appear in her work to this date. After this, she moved to countryside of Quebec where she developed a series titled Recycled Reality Unlimited, mix of mainly large scale acrylic on canvas works offering snippets of stories as titles.
Almost 2 years in New York City followed, where she continued developing the old and new ideas and presented small work in Washington Square Galleries as well in private homes and other locations. The City saw her starting to write poetry, an activity that soon after became an equal passion to painting. She returned to Europe in 2003, took part in Cultural Capital of Europe in Graz, and in 2005 moved to Harrogate, started to use Adobe Illustrator and experiment with computer graphic design and print.
In 2008 Slovakova went on to London, to be closer to its thriving poetry scene. She is now based in North London and since 2011 runs Peace&Cookies Ltd, a label that serves as a platform to various collaborations and projects of hers. She also appears at Pohoda festival in Slovakia every year, last year started touring a solo show Hura! around former Czechoslovakia. She was welcomed back to Latitude festival in Suffolk with both her visual art and spoken word performances too.
CV
EDUCATION
1979-1992 public art classes in all basic art disciplines (various teachers) Czechoslovakia
2005 basic web design and animation, Harrogate College, UK
EXHIBITIONS
SOLO SHOWS
2012
.hura!.
divadlo bolka polivky, brno, czech republic
motolino, nitra, slovakia
.creatures&co. full stop, london, uk
2009
First Ever Ever Solo Show in London,
The Rhythm Factory, London, UK
Gramaphone, London, UK
2006
AIM lobby, permanent mural, huddersfield, england
2005
.full colour grooves.’gate, harrogate, england
2004
.koalas.wensenwerk, hague, the netherlands
.toilets.NIL, graz, austria
2003
.i ain’t no vegetable baby i am peace in a chunk of meat or otomarfi and his silences translated into english.
celery’s, graz, austria
alte technik, graz, austria
2002
.speaking of words. dance space center, NYC, USA
2001
.post summer scriptum. cajovna v podzemi, bratislava, slovakia
2000
.recycled reality unlimited 02. bliss, brooklyn, USA
1999
.ti druhi(those others).
drink in a gallery andy, bratislava, slovakia
theatre le cochon souriant, ste margueritte de lingwick, canada
.big spring head cleaning 01. l'inspecteur epingle, montreal, canada
.big spring head cleaning 02. montreal, Canada
.recycled reality unlimited 01. vieux st pierre, victoriaville, canada
1998
.tvare(faces). royal catering restaurant. bratislava, slovakia
.kiosks. theatre le cochon souriant, ste margueritte de lingwick, canada
1997
.land of garlandyolks.
de badkuyp, amsterdam, the netherlands
mans, nieuwe gein, the netherlands
statne babkove divadlo(state puppet theatre), zilina, slovakia
.zvijeratka(animalz). theatre kameleon, amsterdam, the netherlands
.quazar. amsterdam, the netherlands
1994
.maria's exhibition. lucky mother's, amsterdam, the netherlands
.musicians. PH31, amsterdam, the netherlands
1993
.maria slovakova. rock fabrik danubius, bratislava, slovakia
GROUP SHOWS AND FESTIVALS
2012
.amsterdam showcase. oude kerk, amsterdam the Netherlands
.brand licencing europe. grand hall olympia, london, uk
.pohoda festival. trencin, slovakia
.black. cultivate gallery, london, UK
2011
.barcelona showcase. casa battlo, barcelona, spain
.gallery rooms. braintree community hospital, UK
.what price art?. cultivate vyner street gallery, london, UK
sheffield united football stadium, UK
.pohoda festival. trencin, slovakia
.lavish live art. latitude festival, hensham park, UK
.fill in the groove. hoodlums records, tempe, arizona USA
2010
.asylum. fountain gallery, NYC, USA
.art fair. patrick’s harvist gallery, London,UK
.sean worrall solo show. (role of a support artist) patrick’s harvist gallery, London,UK
.pohoda festival. trencin, slovakia
2009
.project eyepatch. new orleans, USA
.dig the new breed. 33-45 parr street, Liverpool, UK
.we are pop. john mackie gallery, harrogate, UK
.the beermat show. halifax, UK
.spin that thing. famous when dead gallery, melbourne, australia
.latitude festival. suffolk, UK
.pohoda festival. trencin, slovakia
.artist residence hotel room. brighton, UK
2008
AIM(artists in mind) shows in Yorkshire area
2007
.sneaker pimps., world tour
.cereal killers., monkeyhouse toys and art gallery, los angeles, USA
.self made., homeland cultural centre, long beach, USA
.show of consciousness., orlando, florida, USA
2006
.peel here. ghetto mansion,los angeles, USA
.sneaker pimps.budapest, hungary, vancouver, canada
.world mental health day. university of huddersfield, england
.show of conscience., aloma business center, winter park, florida, USA
.sneaker pimps., tour of selected cities, various venues, USA,canada
.pohoda festival.,trencin, slovakia
.7 year itch., west park pavillions, harrogate,england
.12 northern artists, chelston, harrogate,england
2005
.as you wish.(mindwrestlers) parsons paris gallery, paris, france
.you are beautiful. treehouse gallery, los angeles, USA
.you are beautiful book and postcard show. chicago, USA
.as you wish.(mindwrestlers) arc gallery, chicago, USA
.badge show., the mangle, london, england
.harrogate open 2005., mercer gallery, harrogate, england
.stick 04., chicago, USA
2004
.souvenirs. quartier 21, museum quartier, vienna, austria
.chalk it up. artspace, san antonio, texas, USA
.hodokvas. festival, pezinok, slovakia
.night of 1000 drawings. artist space, NYC, USA
.brandwagen competition. strukt visual network, salzburg,Austria
2003
.kwakoe festival. Amsterdam, the netherlands
.kinderachtig. (with UUUFFFFH…)mural on forum stadtpark, graz, austria
.cheap, fast and out of control. quartier 21, museumsquartier, vienna, austria
.hotel rhizom reflection zone. art residency, graz, austria
2002
.the living museum open house. queens, USA
2001
.small works competition. washington square galleries, NYC, USA
2000
.small works competition. washington square galleries, NYC, USA
1999
.SUK before the spring salon.
polnobanka, bratislava, slovakia
malostranska beseda, prague, czech republic
.aukcia stoka. bratislava, slovakia
1998
.concert against extremism. klub za zrkadlom, bratislava, slovakia
.celebration at the botanical garden. klub za zrkadlom, bratislava, slovakia
.CI5. mestske divadlo(town theatre), brno, czech republic
1997
.hu-ry-tan. bratislava, slovakia
.prasna basta toilets. bratislava, slovakia
1996
.stretnutie(the meeting). bratislava, slovakia
.donder-dag. arena, amsterdam, the netherlands
1995
.genderquake. citizens gallery, london, UK
1994
.europe at school. bratislava, slovakia and germany
.hermit. plasy, czech republic
1993
.mikoviniho art school show. bratislava, slovakia
1992
.brat-week of youth culture. bratislava, slovakia
1984-94
kids and students shows
AWARDS
2005 Editor’s Choice Award for outstanding achievement in Poetry presented by poetry.com and the International Library of Poetry, USA
2012 International Who is who in poetry award, USA
COMMISSIONS
.publicity(posters and flyers). 90’s -00’s
pop god record label(bristol, UK), phobia promotions(london,UK) PH31cultural centre(amsterdam, the netherlands)
.illustrations.
Vzlet magazine cover (Serbia), ABN AMRO bank change community presentation, projectie magazine, de mug, transit(amsterdam, the netherlands)
.stage set/decor.
.soul train. (theatre. amsterdam, the netherlands), gary's muffins parties (various clubs, amsterdam, the netherlands),.puro latino show .(t.v.brooklyn, USA)
.workshops.
.jungle. (bratislava, slovakia)
.mr monster lonely. (bratislava, slovakia)
.sticker making. AIM (Huddersfield, UK)
.t-shirt painting. AIM (Huddersfield, UK)
.workshops at the scout hut.(london, UK)
.Dagenham Summer Academy stop animation workshop. (London, UK)
Artbash, London, UK
.design.
images appeared in form of wall paintings, car decoration, furniture, handmade/printed books, jewellery, paper merchandize, clothing, stickers, badges, record cover, home accessories, ceramics, bags...
.interior design.
2009
.for you. permanent custom murals for a hotel room at artist residence hotel in brighton, UK
2000
.jason adlers place. Complete interior design for one bedroom flat in NYC, USA
PUBLICATIONS
2012
.liminal animals. Tongue fu anthology. Edited by Chris Redmond, UK
.international who is who in poetry 2012. Edited by Judy Lynn, USA
2011
mr monster lonely pocket book, published by peace&cookies, uk
2010
‘na vylete do vesmiru’ illustrations for children’s book written by branislav jobus published by pohoda agency, slovakia
2009
centre of the world - book by cym in austria
2004
wensenwerk promo booklet, hague, netherlands
2003
some dangels, first book of otomarfi, ways of koala dear, 100% koala, swingman and showman, the mind talks, tonto comics, austria
a book for oskar, lejdybe:d co., austria
2002
journey of hope, artwork from the living museum, a space for art and healing(pages 118-121) otsuka pharmaceutical, inc. USA