WorkArt & Culture

Moments that matter: the spontaneous art of Mladen Stropnik

Born and raised in Slovenia, Mladen Stropnik worked as a teacher until in 2008, aged 31, he began life as a full-time artist. Influenced by the likes of Nataša Skušek, Res Nullius and Junoš Miklavc, his colourful art is both deeply abstract and grounded in the physical realities of whatever he's using to create it.

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Colourful spheres connected by thin wires arranged on a white canvas, creating an abstract network of yellow, red, blue and green elements

"I try to be raw with the material," he stresses. "I examine the concept through various media as far as I am able." Once completed, the work has a sense of simplicity. "I show what you see. There is no story behind [it]."

It's also grounded in a deep attachment to his homeland, he adds. "I live in a place where people hang out together in peace," he says. "I am looking for moments... It does not matter if I am awake, dreaming or imagining [them].

"Everything is happening right now, and there is no space or time. Music and water are important. A clear idea is an art. Everything that is simple is good. Life is a ride and then you go to sleep."

Orange sphere and pink striped rectangular form on a bright blue painted canvas by Mladen Stropnik
Abstract composition with orange upper section and lime green lower section divided by a diagonal line, with a white circular element near the top
Colourful abstract artwork by Mladen Stropnik divided into pink, yellow and green sections with a curved coloured thread crossing through it
Green wooden block with black rod and colourful rainbow-striped fabric bundle, an artwork by Mladen Stropnik
Pink paper sculpture by Mladen Stropnik with grey curved form and blue and purple string elements
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