Oto Bachorík is one of the most famous artists of the middle generation. A sculptor with a unique sense for matter, he can bring stone, metal and wood to life and approach each of these materials with respect as well as the determination of a conqueror. In his monuments as well as his chamber sculptures he combines various structures, alternating shiny smooth surfaces with rough and grainy ones and large robust forms with fine elaborated details. He subdues light and masters time, space and matter. From the very beginning, his sculptures have resonated a tantalizing contrast of the expressive and the lyrical, the real and the abstract and attempts to define his artistic language frequently lead to the limits of signs deprived of details and even archetypes.

The pure abstracted forms and round lines of his sculptures with a grandiose concept evoke a feeling of mysteriousness and the unknown. His work is a mirror of his intellect. It depicts his internal world, alludes to literary sources and the wisdom of ancient myths and interprets scenes of everyday life through symbols and metaphors.

Despite the fact that he is a city boy, he remains existentially connected to nature by his lifestyle and peculiar philosophy. He loves water, mountains and endless space, and natural elements seem to be combined in his works. The rough structure of the earth as well as the caress of the wind, the glowing sparkle of fire and the freshness of water echo in them.

Nature and man and their mutual relationship are the determining basis for Bachorík’s inspiration. His sculptures – grandiose human figures, heads, animals, birds, fish and marine animals, buildings and mystical objects are elegant and robust, as well as lyrical and dramatic. They are full of power and delicate nostalgia. Sculptures of primary vitality, tension and endless tranquility and answered questions.

Although in the past decades Bachoríkpre dominantly worked with bronze, in 2013 and 2014 he created a set of impressive monumental wooden sculptures. These larger than life-size figures of women, men and animals evoke the motionless nobility of mysterious gods by their elegant and slim, even Gothic-style silhouettes. This feeling is empowered by the monochrome black which in certain places is interrupted by white stone details. He intentionally covered over the oak wood structure and pattern, which in his early works he liked to emphasize, and placed up front flowing and seemingly fragile yet firm volumes on which light slides in impressive effects. In 2014 and 2015, in contrast to these well-balanced elegant and pure forms with strict and firm lines and volumes, he created a unique series of twelve bronze zodiac sculptures, a theme which he had marginally explored in random solo sculptures. The symbolism of zodiac signs determining human fates and in which the human and the animal overlap, provided him with the opportunity to fully develop the scale of his creativity and skill starting with abstracted forms to an almost Baroque-style abundance and brilliant gorgeousness of detail.

From robust volumes to elegant flowing lines, from shiny polished surfaces to dramatic structures with clear surfaces and dark depths. For Bachorík, the zodiac became a symbol of the cycle of nature and human life and perhaps his own life. He had certain plans for it, but it has yet to be exhibited. This passionate traveler, who saw the world from Patagonia to distant fjords in the north in 2015, suffered an almost fatal accident in nearby mountains, and the current exhibition at Savoy Gallery marks his return to the art scene. His new sculptures entitled Malá jazdkyňa (Little Rider), Slnko (Sun), Raňajky v tráve (Breakfast in the Grass) and the grandiose Kráľovná (Queen) are the continuation in his journey for perfect form; their expressively and dynamically impressive structure of surfaces evoke a feeling of a thrilling journey to unknown places as well as peace and returns to the original essence of life.