Trenčín native Pasta Oner’s (1979) first major exhibition in Slovakia showcases a compelling, cohesive collection of more almost sixty paintings and sculptural objects created over the last two years.
Originally rooted in the Prague graffiti scene, the focus of Pasta Oner’s work has since shifted to wall-mounted paintings and sculptural objects characterized by a wide variety of influences ranging from comic books to advertising, old art and the everyday life.
The overarching theme of the present exhibition, which makes reference to the “brotherhood of eternal love”, is the transition between earthly and heavenly love as manifested in various intersections between the two. On the ground floor of the Danubiana, three sculptural objects partly based on the statue of David introduce Pasta Oner’s idea of a hero that is supposed to cleanse the world of all sin. The paintings on the first floor represent various treatments of the timeless subject of love and treachery.
Each of Pasta Oner’s solo exhibitions in the last decade broke new ground and marked a change of view. Entering the conjunction of disparate worlds today is destiny in the form of an open-ended story. Pasta Oner has developed an original, wholly unfettered style that reconciles many incompatible, often directly opposed ideas. It is this style that marks him out as an original figure in Czech art. In his fusional approach, the clash of antithetical viewpoints, which could not coexist anywhere but in the shared space of the canvas, is allowed to play out.
PhDr. Karel Srp
Pasta Oner, whose real name is Zdeněk Řanda, was born on 28th December 1979 in Trenčín. He is one of the most original figures on the contemporary Czech art scene. The bulk of his work consists of oil and acrylic paintings and includes wall-mounted paintings and sculptural objects and installations. He has participated in around fifty group exhibitions and has had eight major solo exhibitions in the last few years. In addition to his studio and gallery activities, Pasta Oner has represented the Czech Republic at official cultural and social events abroad (Shanghai, London, Brasília, Magnitogorsk, Lima). His works are frequently traded at renowned auction houses and are featured in most Czech private collections. Last year, one of his paintings was auctioned off at an autumn auction at Sotheby’s London.
