Adriana Maraž, Retrospective

Adriana Maraž is the greatest female Slovenian printmaker and the only female representative of the “classical” Ljubljana School of Graphic Art. Her printmaking skills are deeply intimate, which she herself describes as metaphors for the passing of time. Adriana Maraž’s approach to intaglio printmaking provides a masterclass of precise handwork and creative innovations. Her prints use combined intaglio techniques developed through a sophisticated interplay of forms, textures and narrative depth. She mastered not only complex printmaking techniques but also a philosophy that printmaking is a dynamic and self-evolving language that can express profound concepts and emotions; thus, her works bear the mark of a transformative artistic legacy. Her motif world is narrow. Within it dwell pieces of furniture (chairs, beds, dressers, couches and similar), transformed into poetic witnesses of human sensitivity, life’s joys and hardships, loneliness and transience, which are revealed in the corrosion-entrenched and relief[1]perceptible surfaces of her works. At the heart of her creativity is a deep respect for the tangible and changeable nature of the printmaking medium. Intaglio printmaking, which primarily originates from incised marks on a metal plate, allows her to establish a nuanced dialogue between the surface and the depth. The artist skilfully engraves her motifs into the metal with a precision that borders on the sublime.

Alongside technical virtuosity, Maraž uses a transparent and deliberate approach to a theme. Her choice of motifs ranges from depicting everyday objects to the complexity of human experiences; every impression becomes an enigmatic narrative in itself. The artist uses intaglio printmaking not only as a means of reproduction but also as a means for telling stories and states, in which she fills her works with layers of meaning and symbolism. In her hands, intaglio printmaking becomes a dynamic and expressive language, enabling the expression of emotional nuances and conceptual exploration. Her use and combination of different intaglio printmaking techniques, such as etching, aquatint, reservage, vernis mou, chine collé and mixed relief and intaglio printing, reveal her versatility and give her artistic vocabulary richness and complexity. In the world of Adriana Maraž’s prints, knowledge, technique and emotions intertwine. Every mark on the plate is a deliberate choice; every impression is a testimony to her dedication to craft and experimentation, as well as her competence that best takes advantage of the innate beauty of intaglio printmaking for the desired artistic effect. Her method of printing is close to the avant-garde spirit of the Hayter school. All her works have a distinctive mark, reflecting her personal style and creative approach. Her working procedure repeats itself, developing, adapting, adding and reducing itself while consistently maintaining its graphical essence. To achieve all the various values, from contrasts to content highlights, without hesitation, she intervenes with her hand or leaves the colour unwiped when the story she tells demands it. At the centre of Adriana Maraž’s method is a commitment to reaching special artistic values, such as contrast, highlight and narrative harmony. An intuitive understanding of when and how much it is necessary to intervene manually in the process of creating a print distinguishes it. This intervention gives her work a tactile and human element, which increases its emotional resonance and enhances the narrative that she wishes to convey. Her exceptional sense for balance, restraint and colour ensures that these manual interventions are never exaggerated; rather, they improve the composition and visual effect. With the advancement of her creative process, Maraž becomes ever more sensitive towards graphic elements. She strives to create visually convincing, conceptually rich and emotionally resonant works. By coordinating technical skills with artistic intuition and respect for materials and the viewer, Maraž achieves a harmonious synthesis.

Breda Škrjanec, MA

Adriana Maraž (1931–2015), the world-famous and most important Slovenian woman artist in the field of printmaking, initially established herself as a painter after completing her painting studies in 1958 in the class of Professor Maksim Sedej at the Academy of Fine Arts (now the Academy of Fine Arts and Design) in Ljubljana, but after 1965, devoted herself to printmaking. She became a master in the most sophisticated intaglio printmaking techniques. Adriana Maraž showed her work at all international print biennials and received numerous awards including the Grand Prix twice – at the Biennale in Fredrikstad (Norway) and in Frechen (Germany) in 1974 – and was also the recipient of several prizes at the Biennale of Graphic Arts in Ljubljana. She showed her work in twenty-eight solo exhibitions in Slovenia and in galleries around the world, from Belgrade and Brussels to Padua and beyond. As a representative of the Ljubljana school of graphic arts, she took part in a vast number of group presentations of Yugoslav printmaking all over the world. Her prints can be found in major world museums, such as the Tate Gallery in London and the MoMA in New York, as well as in museum collections in Slovenia, from the International Centre of Graphic Arts and the Museum of Modern Art in Ljubljana to the Prešeren Award Winners of Fine Arts Gallery in Kranj to name a few. She was the first woman artist to receive the most important Slovenian fine art prize, the Rihard Jakopič Award, in 1977 and the Prešeren Fund Award in 1983. She was a founding member of Grupa 69 as well as one of the pioneers and the only female representative of the “classical” Ljubljana school of graphic arts. She made study trips to Italy, France and Germany. She lived and worked in Ljubljana and in Breznica near Žirovnica.

Adriana Maraž, Intervention into Blue, 1989, colour etching.

Adriana Maraž, Fenêtre dans le temps, 1966, colour etching.

Adriana Maraž, La Viande/Meat, 1978, colour etching.

Adriana Maraž, Gea, 1992, colour etching.