Bringing the Past to Life
Transforming memories into living colour
This personal series reimagines black-and-white family photographs as vibrant oil paintings. Each work is paired with its original image and the story behind it, creating a bridge between generations. Through careful research into colour, clothing, and cultural detail, I revive these still moments as living celebrations of heritage, connection, and enduring beauty.
Early Spring at Trenčín Castle (1936)
On a bright spring day in 1936, a group of friends gathered in the courtyard of Trenčín Castle in my hometown of Trenčín. The trees were still bare after winter, their branches reaching toward the sun, and a vintage car stood quietly in the castle courtyard.
Among the friends was my grandfather, standing proudly in the back, while a young teacher sat among the passengers. The moment was captured by her sister, an artist and photographer.
Nearly ninety years later, I returned to this black-and-white photograph and reimagined it in colour, gently bringing this quiet moment of friendship and early spring back to life.
“Martuška” - One Crown Pose
A joyful moment hides within this memory of my mother at three years old. In the photograph that inspired this work, she had been crying, unwilling to pose - until someone placed a single Slovak crown in her hand, with the promise of an ice cream. Her tears vanished into pride, and that little coin became her treasure. Today, the moment lives again, transformed into a painting filled with warmth and delight.
Opatovce near Trenčín (Spring 1937)
Based on a family photograph, this painting offers a sunlit glimpse of everyday life in the Slovak village of Opatovce near Trenčín. It is spring 1937, and the family stands outside their home along the river Váh. The house, washed in traditional bluestone, glows beneath its thatched roof. In the foreground, my 16-year-old grandmother gently cradles a cat, while two cows rest nearby. Dressed in regional folk costumes, the family radiates a quiet dignity - a timeless portrait of tradition, harmony, and rural life.