Alja Horvat / Idyll
Alja Horvat / Idyll
UGM Šop, Strossmayerjeva 6
22 August–13 October 2024
opening and artist talk: Thursday, 22 August 2024, 18:00
curator: Brigita Strnad
Illustrator and designer Alja Horvat showcases her Idyll series of illustrations at the UGM Šop. The 1960s and 1970s, museums, and places in nature where one may simply relax are sources of inspiration for the young artist. Her stylised floral and vegetal designs, which convey the sensation of a gentle breeze and bright, translucent light, are what distinguishes her creations for apparel, paintings, and other useful items. In both indoor and outdoor settings, women frequently stand, sit, or kneel. She combines photographs of various women—fair-haired and dark-haired, black-skinned and fair-skinned—to subtly discuss diversity. The woman appears alone in the paintings, occasionally together with other women, or partnered with a man, and often accompanied by an animal. She may be holding a book or a cell phone in addition to the potted plant. She appears to be gazing within when in the idyllic spaces of nature, gardens, or opulent chambers with floral wallpaper or bedspreads. We wonder if her inner world is a mirror of the outside world or if it is something quite different.
Alja Horvat (1996, Maribor) is an illustrator and graphic designer. Although she has always had a passion for art, she decided to give it more serious attention in 2018. She prefers to use a Wacom Intous graphic tablet for much of her work, but also loves to paint with oil. She was recognised as one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Art & Culture Award recipients in 2020 and won the Elle Style Fashion Award for Young Talent in 2019. She collaborates with companies like Vichy, Renault, Anthropologie, Barcaffe, Urban Outfitters, and Disney, among others.
