Tomaž Kolarič
Tomaž Kolarič (1953), born in Ljubljana, belongs to a generation shaped by a distinct social and political climate as well as the legacy of previous generations. This background does not assert itself directly, yet it is ever-present – quietly shaping his thinking, observation, and work. He is unmistakably Slovenian, yet not confined to it: a well-traveled artist whose sensibility moves between local specificity and broader cultural experience. His approach is marked by a particular sensitivity – rooted in language, humor, and cultural nuance – that allows meaning to remain layered rather than fully resolved. Motifs and paths return and repeat, but never identically; each recurrence opens onto something slightly altered, as if the work progresses through deliberate circular movement rather than linear development.
Kolarič first trained in architecture, later in sculpture under Prof. Slavko Tihec and Zdenko Kalin at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana – further shaped by the mentorship of architect and sculptor Jože Brumen. He has developed a distinct and consistent voice within contemporary Slovenian sculpture. Since the late 1970s, he has presented his work in more than sixty exhibitions at home and abroad, maintaining a sustained and quietly independent presence in the field.
Kolarič approaches sculpture as an open and responsive field. Working with materials that register light, air, and touch, his works resist a single fixed viewpoint; they shift in relation to the viewer and unfold gradually through movement, proximity, and time. This sensitivity to perception situates his practice firmly within contemporary discourse, while remaining rooted in a deeply personal and material understanding of form.
In person, he comes across as a thoughtful and highly perceptive artist.
He values time – especially the kind that unfolds slowly, often over coffee and a cigarette – moments that allow for reflection as well as exchange.
There is a persistence in his thinking, less a form of resistance than a steady commitment to his own pace and direction.
He does not rush toward production or fixed methods, and at times seems content to remain slightly out of step
– perhaps deliberately so.
This is balanced by genuine openness and generosity toward others, and a quiet receptiveness to new ideas. His work retains a connection to the experimental and non-figurative tendencies of his generation, yet continues to evolve without becoming fixed within them. There is restraint, but also depth – a sense that each work is carefully considered while still allowing space for ambiguity and continuation.