Damjana Simončič: “Artist warmly embraced by his fatherland” Ljubljana, 15. July, 1996.
After living abroad for 39 years, the academic painter Jože Vodlan exhibits his paintings for the first time in his native country. Art show at the Krka Gallery in Ljubljana will be on view till Semptember 11, 1996.
It was a warm summer evening on July 11th in Ljubljana: the wind was gently breezing while the busy city was slowly fading away, giving space to short evening strolls and a peaceful joy.
In the Krka Gallery, ¨ The most beautiful gallery in town,¨ (according to the words of it's custodian, Mr. Boris Česen), something very special was taking place: all festive and illumiated the gallery was hosting for the first time the art exhibition of paintings by Jože Vodlan, a native Slovenian who exhibited his works for the first time in Slovenia. Expecting a unique event people gathered from far and near: friends, art lovers, and experts came from many Slovenian places, as well as from Carinthia, Linz in Austria, USA, and Canada. They crowded the two exhibition halls and the rumour changed the place into a cultural bee-hive. The general chat was interrupted by the cultural animator Mr. Boris Česen who chatted warm-heartedly with the painter and his young family: he stressed the uniqeness of this cultural event for Slovenia and underlined the warmth of the evening with flowers to the painter's wife and compliments to his daughters.
The festivity was enriched by a short concert of the tenor Marijan Trček, accompanied on the piano by Prof. Andrej Jarc.
The work of the artist was presented by Prof. Dr. Mirko Juteršek who declared the exhibition as a survey of Vodlan's entire work and underlined his faithfulness to his own self and thus confirming his strong artistic personality.
It's largely owing to Father Krizolog Cimerman, the Pastor of St. Cyril Church in New York, that the cultural and artistic endeavors became so vivid in this part of America.
A special thanks goes to the previous general consul of Slovenia in New York, Mr. Matjaž Kovačič, who was a real cultural link between New York and Ljubljana.
The successful exhibition could not be realized without the personal engagement of the custodian of the Krka Gallery, Mr. Boris Česen, who organized this particular cultural event with special warmth.
Hoping that the cutural exchange between the USA and Slovenia will get even stronger in the future, all the organizers deserve our great esteem and special thanks.
Articles on the Artist
- 1. Excerpt from Simoncic, Damjana. “Painter puts image on view: loving truth more than the glory,…” USA Today June 1996.
- 2. Excerpt from Gajsek, Vladimir. “Joze Vodlan Exhibits in the Krka Gallery in Ljubljana.” Slovenec 24 July 1996.
- 3. Excerpt from an interview with the academic painter Joze Vodlan: Stefanic, Bogomir Jr. “I Am Searching For The Light That Gives Inner Happiness.” Druzina 11 Aug. 1996.
- 4. Damjana Simončič: “Artist warmly embraced by his fatherland” Ljubljana, 15. July, 1996.
- 5.Excerpt from Jeraj, Jozica. “1996 Frescoes Retrospection.” Exhibition brochure 1996.