Lucia in Ross & Brown

What's it like to make art in Slovakia? It takes a pinch of courage, plenty of discipline, and a solid network of people who support you in it.

2. February 2021, Author: Paula Blahová, Photo: Jakub Čaprnka

Lucia knows this well. She's a jeweller, graphic designer, and PhD candidate at the Department of Visual Communication at VSVU. She regularly exhibits at Bratislava Design Week and, aside from her own work, she's dedicated to supporting others.

She's one of the co-founders of the civic association Pat & pol, where they work together to support the emerging generation of artists in Slovakia. They believe young art contributes to a better future because it brings often-overlooked problems into the light. Behind them, for example, is a successful fundraiser to help save the Eurasian wolf. By selling works from photography students, they contributed to purchasing camera traps that help monitor the movement of these animals and prevent poaching.

Beyond art, Lucia also has a close connection to theatre. Recently, together with Oleksandra Bakushina, she designed a board game that lets any of us peek behind the scenes, into the history and workings of this magical organism. You'll learn, for instance, that there are two Vasaryovos and that Michal Dočolomanský was a trained car mechanic. A limited edition of the tabletop and pocket versions of the game will soon be available through the civic association Divadlo IKS.

Lucia, thank you for inviting us into your studio and we wish you every success!