Chronicle

Gerhard Malecik, born 1956 in Vienna.
Working in the IT industry until 2002, the millennium made him reconsider his life.

That was when his focus changed from material success to that of art and spirituality.
In his youth he was fascinated by other cultures, art, biology and science. He was inspired early on by ancient cultures. Monumental landmarks in Europe, Central America, North Africa and Asia influenced his creativity.

His travels worldwide introduced him to endangered tribes and animals. He reached spirituality with the help of gurus. He was always impressed by native tribes living in harmony amongst the elements.
Since his childhood he was interested with sound, colour and architecture. When he first began working with clay he was influenced by aesthetics and harmony. Over time he began to prefer the confrontation with the four elements. It became a special adventure forming clay into shapes and feeling the earth, water, air and fire. Everything is possible at first, the chance of success or failure close together and both possible.

As he became more emotionally involved with his work he found shaping clay much more important than exact details – the final product seldom looking like the original model – something far too technical – the object rather reflecting his own condition and feeling. Working with white, red and black clay some pieces are painted, polished and glazed.
Every sculpture is an original.
Most of his sculptures are ‘heads’ expressing characters and caricatures.

The average face void of wrinkles and facial expression, nor the perfect model is as interesting for him as those faces engraved in history. As each crack and defect depicts the making of the sculpture, the shape not just being given through the artist’s hands but the elements also become creators to his work.

As our consciousness is a limited experience, so is art, limited for a certain period. In ideal conditions, ceramic art is able to last several thousand years.

The home of the artist, Atelier JA-HE in the middle of the Laaben valley on the edge of the Vienna woods is the ideal place to be creative outdoors.