Samuel Kollárik
Samuel Kollárik (* 1992) was born in Bojnice, Slovakia. He graduated in 2021 at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts in the Malba IV studio under the guidance of Marko Meduna and Petr Dub.
Thematically, my work evolved from the personal experience of a heterosexual coming from a highly heteronormative culture. I portray a certain kind of archetype of male masculinity, in which certain post-oidpal traits are subconsciously manifested, combined with the experience of smalltown SHARP skins culture. The specific masculinity of the "old school" type, which has its basis in the cult of Rambos, Rockys and Terminators in the local small-town context, is deformed and the macho cult becomes a source of amusingly paradoxical characteristics and situations. This is the edge on which I try to balance my means of expression and seek therapeutic glimmers of masculinity as a quality to be proud of. An essential element is a certain kind of overexposed playfulness, often brought to the edge of comedy, caricature or illustrativeness, with which I try to convey a distance from the topic itself and thus the crisis of male roles. Symbols refer to the history of art but also to the common experience of urban people, creating an atypical cocktail of references in order to expand the field of reading the image, not only in a visual sense but also in a literary sense

Solo exhibitions
2023
Soliters and friends, Saigon, Ostrava, CZ
2022
Softener, Radost, Prague, CZ
Bolders, Laboratory of arts, Banská Bystrica, SK
Zero hero, Felix Jenewein Gallery, Kutná Hora, CZ
2019
The show must go on, Jáma 10 Gallery, Ostrava, CZ
2018
Streetdancers, Project Genau, Kutná hora, CZ
2017
Private fiction, Bohéma Gallery, Olomouc, CZ
2016
Without a rudder, Art library Opatov, Prague, CZ
2015
In peace, club Klid, Ostrava, CZ
2014
FFE- Femme fatal error, Sadrový ježek, Ostrava, CZ
Group exhibitions
2022
Finals of VÚB price Painting of the year, Nedbalka, Bratislava, SK
What does not give us day has night, Artfestival, Gabriel Loci, Prague, CZ
2021
Mégethos 28, HYB 4. Prague, CZ
Symposium exhibition, Felix Jenewein Gallery, Kutná hora, CZ
Almost the Magnificent seven, Trafo gallery, Prague, CZ
2019
Three meters, Gallery 1. Prague, CZ
2017
Obviously on the edge, Caesar Gallery, Olomouc, CZ
Atelier 216 with Václav Buchtelík, Rainbow gallery, Prostějov, CZ
2015
Svéhlav, Nibiru Gallery, Ostrava
Hell and heaven, Hlubina, Ostrava, CZ
2013
Svéhlav, Black Crow, Ostrava