Juraj Čutek
Juraj Čutek was born in 1957 in Žilina, Slovakia. He later moved with his family to Bratislava, where he studied at the Secondary School of Applied Arts under the guidance of Professor Ludwik Korkoš. In 1983, he graduated from the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, having studied in the studio of Professor Josef Malejovský.
Since completing his studies, a significant part of his artistic practice has been devoted to small-scale sculpture, primarily created in wood. Čutek is regarded as one of the leading figures of the middle generation of Slovak sculptors. His distinctive figurative sculptures, most often carved from wood and frequently combined with found metal objects, are immediately recognizable and have become a hallmark of his work.
His art moves between the realms of imagination and reality, unfolding through thematic cycles inspired by music, mythology and the world of the circus. Wood is transformed into a visual symphony of refined details and meticulously polished surfaces that invite close contemplation. At the same time, the artist respects the character of the material itself, highlighting the grain, growth rings and natural irregularities of the wood. This interplay allows both the delicacy and the raw strength of the material to emerge, enhanced by exceptional craftsmanship and masterful surface treatment.
The metal elements incorporated into his sculptures reflect the artist’s fascination with the great explorers and inventors of the nineteenth century. They also reveal his playful, imaginative and unconstrained approach to artistic creation.
His works have been exhibited extensively both in Slovakia and abroad, including the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Monaco, the United States, Israel and Morocco. He has also participated in numerous national and international sculpture symposia.
In 2017, Juraj Čutek received the prestigious Crystal Wing Award (Krištáľové krídlo), one of Slovakia’s most respected cultural honours.
