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Voka

BIOGRAPHY

Voka, born 1965, lives and works in Austria. He coined the term “Spontaneous Realism” as a trademark for his art. Voka defines this style as a revival of the significance of contemporary art, a valued tradition in a new era, with a new interpretation reflecting today’s spirit of the time. His distinctive style, emerging from the dynamic of the moment, enables him to strikingly capture immediate reality while the observer is able to palpably feel the imbedded movement. His ability to create one of his paintings in a short space of time and with great dynamic, he explained in a very simple way “I have dealt with painting for a very, very long time in a very slowly and intensively way.”

The basis of his artistic creations is rooted in a decade-long altercation with the art of realism. He researched the technique of the old masters and appropriated them into his own intensive self-study. It was his first contact with watercolour that made him realise that working quickly – which he was almost forced to do when working outside as the colours dry so quickly – could give his stroke more momentum and therefore enormous dynamic.

With the discovery of acrylic he was able to allow his solid basic knowledge of, not only the meticulousness and “heavy” art of oil painting but also the “light” and rapid technique of watercolour painting, to flow together to discover and develop his own style of Spontaneous Realism.

“My personal discovery of Voka was one of those happy serendipitous moments. I was casually browsing the Internet for sport related artwork for my gallery, ArtCatto, in the Algarve, Portugal. Suddenly I came across Voka’s sensational work and was immediately struck by the intensity of colour, the vitality of the brush stokes and his remarkable artistic talent. The more I explored the more impressed I became with his skill and range.I found a hugely talented artist whose ability to paint vast scopes of subject matter, sports- men, from many disciplines, captured in mid movement but also extraordinary portraits of notable people and strong and dynamic landscapes and cityscapes. After 35 years in the art business, few artists have made such a strong impact on all my senses.

Voka is truly unique, his passion and his style are outstanding. He coined the expression “Spontaneous Realism” which suits his work perfectly, as we get a sense of dynamic application and the speed of process, yet he manages to capture the essence of places and people. The vibrancy of his palette is quite startling and it would be fair to say that I absolutely adore his work.”
Gillian Catto