Karol Ondreička

Karol Ondreička was born on the 23^rd of April 1944 in the village of Čachtice. He studied at the Faculty of Education in Nitra. Later he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava, the Department of Illustration and Book Design headed by Professor Albín Brunovský. He was a lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava, the Department of Printmaking. He died on the 10^th of November 2003 in Bratislava.

In his art the dominant focus was on the human being, the woman, their contexts and relationship between the human being and nature. His illustrations are full of symbols and allegories; he allows the viewer to search for emotions and experiences. He illustrated more than 200 book titles. His illustrations for adults and children display imagination and detail, as well as both subtle and magnanimous gesture. His emphasis was on emotions, imagination and lyricism. Combining the techniques of etching, aquatint, dry point, he executed his illustrations sometimes in black and white and sometimes in colour. However, they are always poetic and tend to resemble dreams or fiction, although their sources are real experiences and laws of nature. The artist created compact labyrinths, wherein it is necessary to search not only by eyes, but also by a soul. He encoded in them stories, feelings, mysteries and reality, symbols and also particular life situations and events. His work is intimate in its meaning and message. It is not intrusive, but clear and also private at the same time. Diapason of his artwork is wide and its source lies in the artist's life experience and inner feelings.

Author of the text: Mgr. Barbara Brathová, art historian

Beside illustration he focused on painting, printmaking and stamp design.

Žobrákov poklad (M. Húževka, Mladé letá 1974, Ametyst 2000); Ondrejko (J. Alexy, Mladé letá 1974); Deti sa hrajú vonku (G. Danailov, Mladé letá 1975); Pirátov odkaz (R. Guillot, Mladé letá 1975); Zlatý kantár (K. Slobodníková, Mladé letá 1976); Tretinový chlap (P. Ševčovič, Mladé letá 1976); Zlatý poklad pod Babou : Povesti zo Záhoria (P. Straka, Mladé letá 1977); Jablká nášho detstva (P. Kováčik, Mladé letá 1977); Veľké stepné vtáky (I. Habaj, Mladé letá 1977); Nežne háčkovaný čas (S. Rudolf, Mladé letá 1977); Zlatý poklad pod Babou (P. Straka, Mladé letá 1977); Čarodejník z Atén (J. Lenčo, Mladé letá 1978); Tri dievčatá na skrini (J. G. Szabó, Mladé letá 1978); Zelená májová vetvička (M. Priležajevová, Mladé letá 1978); Taká som sa narodila (D. Legrix, Mladé letá 1978); Priatelia Bon a Bona (O. Nikolova, Mladé letá 1978); Čarokrásna Ruca (M. Húževka, Mladé letá 1979); Paulina (A. M. Matute, Mladé letá 1979); Mladý Fabre (C. Aubry, Mladé letá 1979); Dvaja zo strieborného lesa (P. Andruška, Mladé letá 1980); Podhorská dedina (B. Němcová, Mladé letá 1980); Pušky a holuby (S. Tatay, Mladé letá 1980); Dievča odinakiaľ (C. Clémentová, Mladé letá 1981); Bohatier v býčej koži (M. Ferko, Mladé letá 1981); Honzíkove husličky (H. Ferková, Mladé letá 1981); Povesti a divy (J. Horák, Mladé letá 1983); To bol štvrtok! (R. Lagercrantz, Mladé letá 1983); Obor z kamenných hôr (Východoslovenské vydavateľstvo 1983); 7,5 stupňa Celzia (A. Vášová, Mladé letá 1984); Naučil som sa mlčať (J. Beňo, Mladé letá 1985); Leto na furmanskom koni (P. Holka, Mladé letá 1986); Rozmarínový kríček (M. Nadubinský, Východoslovenské vydavateľstvo 1987); Tisíc a jedna noc, 1. zväzok (Tatran 1987, Ikar 2009); Prvá láska (M. Jančová, Mladé letá 1989); Šibeničné piesne (Tatran 1990); Poklad nad všetky poklady (A. Habovštiak, Lúč 1991); Zakliaty zámok (P. Dobšinský, Ediposs 1991); Zlato pod Kriváňom (A. Marec, Mladé letá 1991); Popoluška a iné rozprávky (A. Suchá, Bradlo 1991); Báje a mýty starých Slovanov (I. Hudec, Slovart 1994); Tajomný kočiš (A. Černochová, Alfa-press 1995); Odkryté poklady (A. Černochová, Alfa-press 1996); Hviezdny prach (A. Černochová, Alfa-press 1997); Dobrunka a Popolvár (J. Beňo, Odkaz 1997); Slovenské rozprávky (Artforum 21: Ringier ČR 2004).

SRNENSKÁ, Dagmar: Karol Ondreička. Bratislava : Slovenský Tatran, 2000. 237 s. ISBN 80-222-0484-6.

Slovník českých a slovenských výtvarných umělců 1950 - 2002. IX.  Nov - Pat. Ostrava : Výtvarné centrum Chagall, 2002, s. 181-182. ISBN 80-86171-15-9.

SRNENSKÁ, Dagmar: Karol Ondreička. Bratislava : Petrus, 2006. 173 s. ISBN 80-892-331-98.

BRATHOVÁ, Barbara: Slovak United Imagi Nations. Bratislava : Literárne informačné centrum, 2009, s.114-119. ISBN 978-80-89222-75-9.

1986 Honorary Mention in the competition the Most Beautiful Czechoslovak Books '85 for the book Ženský zákon (Women's Law)
1987 'Mladé letá' Publishing House Award 1986 for the book Kapitánova dcéra (The Captain's Daughter)
1992 Ľudovít Fulla Award for illustrations for children and youth

1993 Most Beautiful Children's Book of the Winter for the book Báje a mýty starých Slovanov (Legends and Myths of Ancient Slavs)
1995 Slovak Artist's Association Prize for Life Achievement in Illustrations

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