The Jan Koniarek Gallery in Trnava
Synagogue - Centre of Contemporary Art,
Halenarska 2, Trnava, Slovakia
Dusan Junek : Only paper (typo & symbol & poster)
Exhibition: 19. 9. 2013 - 26. 10. 2013
Dusan Junek´s (b. 1943, Piestany) anniversary exhibition has been prepared by the Jan Koniarek Gallery in Trnava in collaboration with the TypoDesignSlovakia (TDS). Dusan Junek is a notability of modern graphic design in Slovakia who markedly contributed to the development of his field as an internationally recognized and appreciated authority. He studied at the Faculty of Architecture of the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava under prof. E. Bellus (1960-1966) and at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design under prof. D. Kuzma (1968-1970). He is one of our best graphic designers well known abroad. Ever since the 80s of the 20th century up to now he has been playing the key role in important events of graphic design and visual communication in Slovakia and its presentation in the world. He creates within the entire field: in the field of graphic design, applied typography, poster, signs, symbols, logytypes and visual identity complex programs - Corporate Identity. Simultaneously, he deals with professional journalism, curatorial activities; he is an author of many cultural projects and exhibitions. For many years, he has been performing teaching and consultancy activities.
Despite a decade of isolation and ban on work after 1968 his creative thinking supported by artistic wit and masterful expression shortcuts asserted and resonated especially on the international scene.
He is the initiator and co-founder of the International Trnava Poster Triennial (1991), he is the author of logo and the first comprehensive visual style of the Slovak bank Tatra banka (1991), he was the first president of the Slovak Association of Graphic Designers (1990-1993) and for a decade he was a vice president of the international Biennial of Graphic Design Brno (1990-2000). He designed and created graphical face of more than 20 Slovak, Czechoslovak and foreign institutions in form of Corporate Identity - a comprehensive graphic design. He is the author of the Slovak brand of quality Slovak Gold and its entire visual system. For the renewed theatre Studio L+S Lasica and Satinskı the artistic collaboration with D.Junek (1988-1997) was important since he designed the distinctive graphic face of the theatre and especially the legendary and widely appreciated theatre posters for stagings of P. Süskind - Contrabass, G.Schwajda - Help, S.Mrozek - Emigrants and Yasmina Reza - Art.
Color, metaphor in the original composition and a specific typography form an eye-catching expressiveness of Junek´s artistic, cultural, environmental or exhibition posters that were awarded numerous prizes in the world. He designed more than 300 of them; inter alia for the Slovak National Theatre, Drama of the P.O.Hviezdoslav Theatre, Theatre Studio L+S, Dansk Plakatmuseum in Aarhus, the UN World Expo in Japan Kyoto, the international project Posterium and recently the project for the words and images Halfword in the Polish Institute in Bratislava, etc.
He presented his work at 25 solo exhibitions and participated in over 400 group exhibitions worldwide. His work has been published in the world´s encyclopedias - Who is Who in Graphic Design (Zurich), Contemporary Who is Who (USA), in our Encyclopaedii Beliana 7, in Encyclopedia Who is Who in the SR, in the Dictionary of Czech and Slovak Artists and many major professional publications - IDEA /Tokyo, PRINT /New York, NOVUM /Munich, Design Journal /Seoul, PEN /Tokyo, Linea Grafica /Milan, Greatis /Moscow, Monthly Design / Seoul, Typography /Prague, World of Poster /Aarhus, Celebrating the Poster / Aarhus...
Furthermore, D.Junek is a laureate of the international Biennial of Graphic Design Brno 1990, the international prize Master´s Eye Award 1991, the prize of Japanese Government Environmental Agency of Japan Honour Award granted at the UN World Expo in Kyoto 1998, laureate of Grand Prix at the 18th Salon International in Saint Just le Martel 1999, laureate of the US Danihel´s Award 2001 in Los Angeles for lifetime achievement and moral profile, the international award Intersalon 2002 for theater posters for the Slovak National Theatre, decade´s awards Slovak Gold Foundation 2004, nominated in the "TOP 100 Communicators of World" in Cambridge 2005, 1st prize laureate at the International Trnava Poster Triennial 2012, etc. In 2002 he achieved a prize of extraordinary importance - ICOGRADA Achievement Award for his work and contribution in development of graphic design in the world.
Since 1996 he is an honorary member of the international association of graphic designers Brno Biennale Association (BBA). This year, at the occasion of the 900th anniversary of the town´s first written mention, his hometown granted him a title of an honorary citizen of the town of Piestany. The balance of his life´s work, his artistic results and the moral standing of the author rank Dusan Junek among the leading personalities of our culture and the international community of graphic designers.
At the exhibition the author presents more than 60 prints on paper - posters, applied typography, signs, symbols and creative metaphors - current works originating in recent years. He presents his work in the field of culture, theatre, arts and exhibition and the world of his ideas and artistic philosophy.
Prof. Stanislav Stankoci
Rector Academy of Art and Design in Bratislava
View of the exhibition
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