Ján Kelemen

Ján Kelemen was born in 1957 in Šurany, Slovakia. Between 1976 and 1982, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava under the renowned Slovak artist Professor Albín Brunovský.

In 1996, together with his friends Ján Hlavatý and Alexej Kraščenič, he co-founded the informal artistic group A1. Although trained as a printmaker, Kelemen’s artistic practice extends across painting, drawing, sculpture, installation art, performance and multimedia projects.

In the field of printmaking, he has continuously experimented with new techniques and processes, combining traditional graphic methods with the use of oxy-fuel torch treatment and hydraulic press technologies, often enriched with oil pastel and acrylic interventions.

His painting ranges from the expressive language of Informel and Action Painting to contemplative forms of expressive abstraction. This artistic approach gradually evolved into projects focused on the revitalisation of natural environments and the relationship between art and landscape.

Nature, natural spaces, water and organic materials have profoundly influenced his artistic philosophy. These themes became central to his participation in numerous symposia, where he discovered broader opportunities for sculptural expression through working directly with wood, stone and site-specific installations.

Through this process, his work gained a deeper internal coherence and meaning, extending beyond the formal concerns of colour and shape to engage with questions of place, environment and human experience.

Ján Kelemen lives and works in Bratislava.