Premio Combat Prize

Artwork description
Samuel Grajfoner is a creator who always seeks new chlaaenges – both in the metier itself and its technical procedures, and by comparing his own achivements with the works of major European artiszs. In so doing, he never abandons a strictlypersonal view, wich is open to everything but remains independent.A form in space is what excites the artist most, and it remains his objective.Conceptual arrangments of graphic art paper and their upgrading with various objects and materials are the artists response to uderstimation of the graphic metier and its equating with printing. In spite of attractiveness of such arrangemnts and their justfication at time whwn artists comete with virtual visalisation of the world, sheets of graphic art paper, with all of the abundance of their artistic message, remain the origin and the marrow of the work of Samuel Grakjfoner. Meta Gabršek Prosenc
Biograpy
Samuel Grajfoner was born in 1962 in Maribor. In 1990, he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana, from Department of Sculpture, and in 1994 he finished the specialist study of graphic at the same academy. He was further trained at the Minerva Academy in Groningen, the Netherlands, in the Paragon centre in London, at the Cité International des Arts in Paris and the Printmakers Workshop in Edinburg. He is professor for printmaking and drawing at the Faculty of Education at the University of Maribor. He has taken part in group and individual exhibitions in Slovenia and internationally, and has received several prestigious awards for his work. His graphic works are in several galleries, amongst others also in the Vienna Albertina.
Art fields
Printmaking, drawing, sculpture, installation
Solo exhibitions ( selection )
2003 The Darknesses of Holes, Koroška Gallery of Fine Arts, Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia
2000 Surveyable Exhibition of Graphics and Drawings 19989 -2000, Tivoli Gallery, International Centre of Graphic Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
1992 Rotovž Exhibition Salon, Maribor Art Gallery, Maribor, Slovenia
Group exhibitions ( selection )
2014 Back to black : barve črne, 1970 - 2014 : razstava umetnikov, Galerija Equrna, Ljubljana,Slovenia
60! Panorama : razstava zbirke UGM ob 60. obletnici, Prideš? Imam jih 60!, Umetnostna galerija Maribor,Slovenia
Alptraum : exhibition, Salon de Lirio, Goa, India
2013 Prints and impressions : likovna razstava, Mednarodni grafični likovni center,Ljubljana, Slovenia
Almost spring : 100 let slovenske umetnosti, Umetnostna galerija Maribor & Slavija, Maribor, Slovenia
2012 The Art: NOW,University of Maribor, Slovenia
2009 Summer, Suggestion fort he Permanent Collection,Maribor Art Gallery, Slovenia
Drawings in Slovenia 1940 – 2009, City Art Museum, Ljubljana, Slovenia
The 15th SPACE International Print Biennial - Seoul, South Koreja
2006 7th Biennial of Slovene Graphic Arts – Otočec, Town Hall, Novo mesto, Slovenia
1997 The prints of the world: Sakaide International Graphic Art Exhibition, Sakaide, Japan
Awards ( selection )
2009 Purchase award of the company Yoon Design Inc., 15th Seoul International Print Biennial, Seoul, South Korea
2005 Novo mesto Muncipality Award, Purchase award of the Print Collection of the Vienna Abertine, 7th Biennial of Slovene Graphic Art Otočec, Novo Mesto,
1990 Prešeren Student Award, Academy of Fine Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Bibliography ( selection)
. Marjeta Ciglenečki, The Darknesses of Holes, tr. Ksenija Vidic ( Slovenj Gradec: Gallery of Fine Arts, 2003 ).
A exhibition brochure
. Zoran Kržišnik, Meta Prosenc Gabršek, Samuel Grajfoner: Pregledna razstava grafik in risb 1989-2000 / Exhibition of Graphics and Drawings 1989 -2000 Ausstellung der Grapfiken und Zeichnungen 1989 -2000, tr. Miriam Behek, Ksenija Davidović ( Ljubljana: Mednarodni grafični likovni center / International Centre of Graphic Ars/ Internationales graphisches Zentrum,2000). An exhibition catalogue.
.Mitja Visočnik, Samuel Grajfoner: Razstava grafik in risb ( Maribor: Umetnostna galerija, 1992).
An exhibition catalogue.