Jaroslav Gaňa

Jaroslav Gaňa was born on 15 December 1957 in Žilina, Slovakia. After graduating from the Secondary School of Applied Arts in Bratislava under Professor Juraj Gavula, he continued his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, specialising in Glass in Architecture under Professor Václav Cigler and Associate Professor Jozef Žáček.

Although his academic training was rooted in glass art, and his early work focused on glass sculpture and later polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) objects, these represent only one aspect of a much broader artistic practice. Throughout his career, Gaňa has worked with a wide variety of materials, including stone, wood, epoxy resin, plastics and papier-mâché.

From 2003 to 2008, he served as Director of the Kysuce Gallery in Čadca, contributing significantly to the cultural life of the region.

His artistic temperament and experimental curiosity have naturally drawn him towards abstraction, particularly its lyrical and imaginative forms. The search for new techniques, materials and modes of expression has remained a constant feature of his work.

Since 2007, he has increasingly focused on experimentation with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), a material that allowed him to return to the exploration of transparency, light and optical effects—qualities traditionally associated with glass. Through these works, he investigates the interaction between material, space and perception.

Gaňa’s work is characterised by a sensitive balance between technical precision and poetic imagination. Whether working with glass-like materials, sculpture, painting or design, he continually seeks new ways to transform material into visual experience.

He lives in Kysucké Nové Mesto and is actively engaged in glass art, sculpture, design and a wide range of painting techniques.