Slavko Oblak was born in 1934 at a farm Pri Klemenovih in the Rečica village near Bled. His family was related to another family of farmers, the Mraks. Slavko was a carpenter, like his father, but after fulfilling his army duty in the 1950s, he decided to study art abroad. Before he could enter the Academy of Performing Arts in München, he had to earn some money to support himself. He also worked at a foundry, and this job had a decisive impact on his future artistic career. He developed a love for bronze, which became his favourite medium of expression. At his second home – a farm in Kumhausen, where he now lives – Oblak even set up a foundry where he now casts sculptures that are aesthetically pleasing additions to public buildings and parks in Landshut, a town famous for its fountains and public art. Oblak’s oeuvre, in particular his fountains seen in many Bavarian towns, clearly demonstrate the sculptor’s pristine relationship and coexistence with nature. For the second time, the Bled Culture Institute is dedicating the year to a person who is important for Bled in the context of their work and creative endeavors. This year this honor has deservedly fallen to the sculptor Slavko Oblak, who was also presented with the Golden Plaque of the Bled Municipality.
Bled proudly displays four Oblak’s works of art: the Cyclamen has found its home by Lake Bled (1997), the Budding Fountain stands in front of the Bled Municipality (2002), the statue of Mary, Mother of God, was placed in the chapel of the Bled Castle on the occasion of 1000 years since the first written mention of Bled in 2004. Since 2021, visitors can admire the Castle Blossom in the castle park which underwent complete renovation by the Bled Culture Institute in 2019.
Exhibition at the STOLP (Tower) Gallery at Bled Castle
The STOLP Gallery at Bled Castle hosted the exhibition ‘Slavko Oblak – Artist and Artisan’ from 2 November 2022 to 31 January 2023. The exhibition presented sculptures created in various periods of the artist’s creative career, as well several photographs illustrating the artist’s life and work.
Sculptures:
- Primrose, 1983, bronze
- Angelika Kirchner, portrait, 1957, bronze
- Kneeling, 1975, bronze
- Mullein, 1984, bronze
- Rooster, 2004, bronze
- Family, 1996, bronze
- Tree of Life (Chernobyl), 1992, bronze
- Flower, 1986, bronze
- Sitting torso, 1972, bronze
- Burghausen Monument, model, 1969, bronze and stone
- Riders, relief, 1975, bronze (on display in the Museum Hall, upper courtyard of Bled Castle)
Exhibition in the Museum Hall at Bled Castle
In the hall above the museum, the Riders relief complemented the exhibition of photographs featured in the Bled 2023 Calendar. Selected photographs showcase typical Bled vedutas captured by local photographers in dramatic conditions. Slavko Oblak’s sculptures were the accompanying theme of the Bled 2023 Calendar.
