Vladimír Korček
(b.1973) Based in Bratislava / Slovakia
I’ve been drawn to art since childhood. When I was drawing, I would lose track of time, cutting out logos and lettering — so graphic design seemed like the obvious choice when I entered secondary school.
However, the teachers saw it differently and placed me in ceramics. At first, I wanted to transfer, but that never happened — instead, I completely fell in love with ceramics. After high school, I started studying design at the Technical University in Košice, but it didn’t really work out. I was hot-headed back then, and for not entirely reasonable reasons, I voluntarily left school. After a brief detour — an attempt to become a military pilot — I found my way back to graphic design.
I began working in several small design studios in Košice, and in 2002 I moved to Bratislava to work for a large and excellent advertising agency. Graphic design and advertising were never just a fallback option — I truly enjoy this work. I’ve experienced advertising as an employee, an agency owner, and a freelancer. Alongside my graphic design work, I occasionally created fine art — mostly small ceramic reliefs and sculptures. Later, together with my sweet partner, I fully devoted myself to ceramics, and through our project Sometile, we managed to create several beautiful works.
After some time, the Sometile ceramics studio came to an end, so my time became unevenly divided between graphic design and personal art — with the latter always taking the back seat. The pandemic brought a change, a kind of enforced work break. During that period, I began developing several series of works in quick succession — each different in technique, theme, and basically everything else. That’s how the Wood Drawings: Beings, the Birdlings, the Diary, and a series inspired by traditional Slovak ornamentation came to life — a tradition whose sheer brilliance simply fascinates me.
I’ve come to realize that I don’t belong among artists who search for and refine their unique signature style. For each subject, I seek the right approach and technique to come as close as possible to an ideal form — one that can best express how I perceive that particular theme or object.
Education:
1988—1992: The School of Applied Arts Košice / Ceramics
1993—1994: Technical University of Košice / Design
1995—1996: Air Force Academy Košice
Professional Experience:
2002—2004: Graphic designer (Wiktor Leo Burnett)
2004—2010: Art director (Respect APP)
2010—2017: Art direcor/Designer (Sometile hand-made ceramic mosaic)
2017—2023: Freelance graphic designer
2023—2025: Graphic designer (City Theater of P. O. Hviezdoslav)
Solo Exhibitions:
2010—Galéria 19, Bratislava
2023—Galerie Art Active, Passau
2023—Nádvorie Biela, Bratislava
korcekvlado@gmail.com
