Selected Works

Erik Šille was born in 1978 in Rožňava, Czechoslovakia. He Lives and works in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Šille is one of the most significant protagonists of Slovak painting. His creation has been rapidly profiled as early as during the first years of his studies (VŠVU, Bratislava), when he ranged himself among the first “stars“ of the painting revival connected mainly with the appearance of the IV. atelier led by Ivan Csudai.

Šille´s painting consistently and systematically represents his own artistic voice with initial stimulation in visual particularities of pop-culture, comics and street-art. Dominant recognitory feature of his creative language is a strong influence by the digital image processing which is so precise that it even reminds us of the graphic design. Yet he never falls out of his free painting creativity. In spite of the impression of the “clarified“ surfaces, a gesture is extremely important for him, frequently it even makes the essential moment of his final expression.

Credit: The art theoretician Diana Majdáková

This quotation introduced the work of Erik Šille in the catalogue Painting after Painting (Slovak National Gallery, 2010) and in many ways rendered the work of undoubtedly the most successful
painter of his generation. He raised attention already during his studies at the studio of Professor Ivan Csudai, when a strong “acrylic generation” of painters emerged. Although Šille belongs to its prominent representatives, he continually cultivates, develops and enriches his highly distinctive style with new elements and characters. Possibly the most characteristic feature of Šille’s work is his sophisticated symbolism that utilizes the form, charm, and ambiguity of the animated world and comic characters.

Credit: Alexandra Kusá (General Director of Slovak National Gallery)

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