Jana Kiselová-Siteková

Jana Kiselová-Siteková was born on the 24^th of May 1942 in the town of Prešov. In 1967 she graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava, the Department of Printmaking headed by Professor Vincent Hložník. She lives and works in Bratislava.

The artist has received multiple awards at the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava. The character of the artist's illustrations is unique not only due to her technique and means of expression, but above all thanks to the calm mood radiating from her illustrations. The artist is undoubtedly inspired by ancient Japanese culture, which influences her work and for sure this is also the reason why her work is extraordinarily admired in Japan. The artist creates with modest means an impressive space, her strong point is her subtle thin line as well as equally subtle colouring and thanks to them she achieves at times a poetic mood and at times dramatic mood in her pictures. She concentrates on incredibly precise details and an image of elevated, almost ethereal figures. Her illustrations are typical with manifold floral and zoomorphic elements which narrative order and repetition evoke a decorative impression. Her delicate line creates magical figures amidst dream-like visions and natural veils. The artist who has received multiple awards also at the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava is constantly proving her uniqueness and originality in her work. Although it could seem, that there is no possibility to continue further in such a technique and poetics of illustrations, the artist always brings in her illustrations something new and revealing in a sense of more developed technique and higher quality of micro-drawing. She became a master of details. If we removed any of her figures from her complex, decorative picture, they could easily function as small miniatures characterized by a fragility achieved paradoxically (or obviously) thanks to a hard, time demanding work. There is an exceptional phenomenon appearing in this tiny figures and environments within the given framework: the renowned air. The artist is able to allow her figures enough space even in a very small area. Her figures are not imprisoned in a 'restricted' area of picture, they only have their tiny bodies in adequately tiny worlds. Beside other things, also in this lies the greatness of an artist: to create new worlds for new 'people'.
While the illustration for children is fragile, almost slightly transparent, her prints, which are also her focus, have their unique poetics, as well as a certain vigour, almost a fatal urgency.

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

Beside illustration the artist focuses on printmaking.

Veľké trápenie (H. Šmahelová, Mladé letá 1965); Kráľ Zlatej rieky (J. Ruskin, Mladé letá 1969); Čarokruh (J. Čarek, Albatros 1971); Kúzelný klobúk (D. Wagnerová, Mladé letá 1971); Popo a Fifina (A. Bontemps, Mladé letá 1972); Ako šlo vajce do sveta (Mladé letá 1972); Viktória (K. Hamsun, Mladé letá 1973); Biely kamienok (G. Linde, Mladé letá 1974); Chlapec z Georgie (E. Caldwell, Mladé letá 1975); Dlhý, Široký a Bystrozraký (Mladé letá 1975); Muško a Miško na severnom póle (T. Inuiová, Mladé letá 1975); Kvakulienka (T. Baroková, Mladé letá 1976); Altamira (O. Sliacky, Mladé letá 1976); Kráľovské ságy (J. Kaňa, Mladé letá 1977); Ako šlo dievčatko... ( Mladé letá 1977); Čo nás po kráľovi uhorčiakovi (Ch. Nöstliger, Mladé letá 1978); Básne (M. Haľamová, Slovenský spisovateľ 1978, 1983); Komu dám svoju nehu (M. Haľamová, Mladé letá 1978); Rybár a prsteň morskej panny (S. N. Leodhas, Mladé letá 1979); Silas a čierna kobyla (C. Bodker, Mladé letá 1979); Lupeň zlatej ruže (R. Dobiáš, Mladé letá 1979); Snehobiela košeľa (A. Habovštiak, Mladé letá 1981); Čarokruh (J. Čarek, Mladé letá 1983); Paroloď Kolombína (L. Bauer, Mladé letá 1983); Dievčatko a medveď (Mladé letá 1985); Čierny šál : Balady a piesne (A. S. Puškin, Mladé letá 1986); Chrabrý Nazar (H. Thumanjan, Mladé letá 1987); Zbojníková dcéra Ronja (A. Lindgren, Mladé letá 1989); Adam a Eva (O. Sliacky, Mladé letá 1994); Ako šlo dievčatko... šlo jedno dievčatko.. (J. Kiselová-Siteková, Mladé letá 1997); Hodinky (M. Haľamová, Tranoscius 1999); Nepokoj (M. Haľamová, Tranoscius 1999); Palculienka (H Ch. Andersen, Buvik 2001, 2019); Braček z tekvice a Sestričky z Topánika (M. Ďuríčková, Ikar 2003); Píšťalkár (E. J. Groch, Slniečkovo 2006); Anjeličku, môj strážničku (M. Rúfus, Buvik 2008, 2013); Tisíc a jedna noc, zv. 7 (Ikar, 2010, 2024); O stratenej rukavičke (J. Kuniak, Skalná ruža 2012); Čarovné pero (M. Voříšková, Buvik 2014); Mamička (J. Seifert, Buvik 2016); Kapitán Spomienka : poviedky a básne pre deti a násťročných (Kolektív autorov, Perfekt 2019); O Jankovi Polienkovi (S. Czambel, Buvik 2021); Filemon a Baukis (B. Panáková, Perfekt 2023) .

KUBOVÁ, Matilda – CPIN, Peter: Tvorcovia detskej knihy. 3. dopl. vyd. Bratislava : Mladé letá, 1991. [75] l. ISBN 80-06-00319-X.
Umenie pre deti. Edit. Mária Števková. Bratislava : Buvik, 1999. [88] l. ISBN 80-85507-87-0.

Slovník českých a slovenských výtvarných umělců 1950 - 2000. V.  Ka - Kom. Ostrava : Výtvarné centrum Chagall, 2000, s. 179-180. ISBN 80-86171-05-1.
KRIŠKA, Fedor: Jana Kiselová-Siteková. In Slovenská detská kniha. Zost. Ľubica Kepštová. Bratislava : Literárne informačné centrum, 2008, s. 76-79.
BRATHOVÁ, Barbara: Slovak United Imagi Nations. Bratislava : Literárne informačné centrum, 2009, s. 102-107. ISBN 978-80-89222-75-9.

KRIŠKA, Fedor: Prstom po zahmlenom okne. In Revue Bibiana. 2002, roč. 9, č. 4, s. 41-46. Dostupné na internete: ISSN 1335-7263.

SLIACKY, Ondrej: Na špičke ilustrátorského štetca. In Revue Bibiana. 2009, roč. 16, č. 3, s. 14-20. Dostupné na internete:
<http://www.bibiana.sk/sites/default/files/sites/default/files/digital_archive/rocnikxvi_3_2009.pdf>ISSN 1335-7263.

1976 Honorary Mention in the competition the Most Beautiful Czechoslovak Books ´75 for the book Muško a Miško na Severnom póle (Muško and Miško on the North Pole)
1984 Honorary Mention in the competition the Most Beautiful Czechoslovak Books '83 for the book Paroloď Kolombína (Steamboat Colombina)

          'Mladé letá' Publishing House Award 1983 for the book Čarokruh (Magic Circle)
1986 Ľudovít Fulla Award for illustrations for children and youth

          Honorary Mention in the competition the Most Beautiful Czechoslovak Books '85 for the book Dievčatko a medveď (The Little Girl and the Bear)

1987 Honorary Mention in the competition the Most Beautiful Czechoslovak Books '86 for the book Čierny šál (The Black Shawl)

1988 Honorary Mention in the competition the Most Beautiful Czechoslovak Books '87 for the book Chrabrý Nazar (Brave Nazar)

1990 Award of the Ministry of Culture of the SR in the competition the Most Beautiful Czech and Slovak Books '89 for the book Zbojníkova dcéra Ronja (Ronja, the Robber's Daughter)
1991 Plaque BIB ’91 for illustrations for the book Zbojníkova dcéra Ronja
1994 Most Beautiful Children's Book of the Autumn for the book Adam a Eva (Adam and Eve)
1995 'Mladé letá' Publishing House Award 1994 for the book Adam a Eva    

          Award of the Ministry of Culture of the SR for illustrations in the competition the Most Beautiful Books of Slovakia '94 for the book Adam a Eva
          Golden Apple BIB ’95 for illustrations for the book Adam a Eva
1996 IBBY Honour List for illustrations for the book Adam a Eva
2000 Most Beautiful Children's Book of the Summer for the book Hodinky (Clocks)
2001 Golden Apple BIB ’01 for illustrations for the books Palculienka (Thumbelina) a Hodinky

          Most Beautiful Children's Book of the Summer for the book Palculienka
2002 Award of the Ministry of Culture of the SR for illustrations in the competition the Most Beautiful Books of Slovakia 2001 for the book Palculienka
2007 Award of the Ministry of Culture of the SR for illustrations in the competition the Most Beautiful Books of Slovakia 2006 for the book Píšťalkár
2008 Most Beautiful Children's Book of the Autumn for the book Anjeličku, môj strážničku (Angel, my Constable)
2009 Plaque BIB ’09 for illustrations of the book Anjeličku, môj strážničku

2013 The Most Beautiful Books of Slovakia 2012 fot the book O stratenej rukavičke

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