NAME: Boris Novak
BIRTH PLACE: Prague
BIRTH DATE: 9.30.54
BIOGRAPHY
On 30 September 1954 in Prague, the baroque capital of Europe, Boris Novak was born.
As young boy Boris and his family moved to the historic Croatian city of Split, one of the bases of a secular Roman culture.
When he was 24, too liberal and therefore too vulnerable, he and his life companion and love of his life Zeljana Bura turned their backs on Yugoslavia and fled to free western Europe.
They have settled in Utrecht in the Netherlands where he is still living today.
With the unlimited support of Zeljana, the cultural influences of these three places are crucial for forming Boris Novak's expression as an artist.
As an unbeatable optimist in his work he celebrates the the existential joy of daily life.
Growing up in Prague, his intellectual and liberal family were frustrated by the eastern block limitations, but cultivated dreams of an humane and rightful society. The overwhelming beauty of the city and cultural inputs were an indelible influence to Boris development.
In the first few years as young boy in Split, Croatia it was difficult for Boris to find his place as an foreigner, but things soon changed when Boris got into school for Applied Arts.
This school was the best thing could happen to Boris. He made new friends, fine and sensitive young artists with wide open hearts,a "gift from god" as Boris describes them and that period of his life. Soon this group defined itself as a Pop Art artist group which worked and exhibited together in the city.
His second study in Split was interrupted in 1978, his long desired flight to freedom led him to Utrecht, in the Netherlands he and started his studies at the Art Academy. Five years later he graduated as an Graphic Designer.
After graduation followed period of much painting, experimenting and exhibiting.
In this period Boris developed different styles. An example is the realistic work ' people in mosaic ' with which he reaps a success during a number of expositions ' Imprisoned body ' in Italy (1983).
Boris most recent topics 'organic surrealism' as you can see number of its examples on these pages in the section "Conception".
After birth the of his first child Boris decided to change emphasis and work as a graphic designer.
Now that his children are growing up it looks like Boris' urge to paint is impossible to contain.
The new works are created, the ideas are stronger, more pure, more essential than ever before.
