Viktor Šefčík

VIKTOR ŠEFČÍK studied graphic art at the School of Applied Arts in Košice. He was involved in organizing private exhibitions at which students whose work fell outside the accepted limits of socialist art could present their works. During his university studies at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, he came into contact with other artists whose views on art differed from the mainstream, and he was drawn into the underground art scene in Prague. After travelling the world, he returned to Košice on November 18^th 1989 and become one of the founding members of the Civic Forum in the city. He is a co-founder and long-term member of the C+S art collective.

Nowadays, however, he has exchanged the hustle of the big city for the peace and quiet of a Hungarian village; lost amidst the steppe, beneath open blue skies and the “Provençal” light. He has lived there now for several years in symbiosis with nature and creativity. He and his work radiate a sense of calm and respect for the plant life around them. He observes them as they grow, admiring their purity and uncomplicated existence. He sees a kind of order in them, a steady rhythm, simplicity. He is increasingly interested in the details of flowers, both as a focus of his observation and as a source of inner contemplation. Nor does he ignore the environmental aspects. He says that he is increasingly reliant on the self-development of nature and his faith in its strength, which greatly exceeds that of mankind. He is an observer; he follows the infinitesimal process of germination and growth of plants, tracing the path towards their inevitable demise, a journey which he sees as a gateway to the microprocesses of life. He sees each phase as equally beautiful, with each individual stage revealing qualities that confirm his own sense of faith.

We are often unable to identify the plants that feature in his work; nor, in fact, do we need to. They catch the eye with their unconventional cuttings, details and shapes. At the same time, the artist is deeply immersed into himself, connecting mental and visual sensations, something akin to his untamed garden – flowers and herbs growing unhindered, a labyrinth of well-trodden paths winding their way through the bushes and plants. The Hungarian art historian Miroslav Fuhrman describes it as “representing the perfected state of the soul, at one with its Creator. The garden is also our soul”. Viktor’s studies in restoration have given him a detailed knowledge of colour, light, shadow and the traditional techniques which are still used in painting today. In his recent paintings, the metaphorical explorations of the periods of birth and growing up titled LIFE STAGES I, II, he applies watercolours to the multiple base layers of chalk on an old hand-woven linen canvas. A remarkable approach. A return to the patience and skill of the old masters.

Through his current way of life and working, Viktor Šefčík is a sterling example of the symbiosis between man and nature, a sharp rebuke to the modem world and its endless flow of technology, clamour and alienation. His contemplative approach, founded on observations of plant life and the cycles of life, offers an alternative to anthropocentric perspectives – it harks back to humility, rhythm and balance. In an era marked by social crises and spiritual impoverishment, his work is a quiet manifesto of trust and the strength of the natural order that transcends humankind.

Edita Vološčuková, project curator