Daniel Horák was born on December 17, 1975 in Bratislava. After high-school (gymnázium), he started to study at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, but these studies were disrupted by illness. Although he had some experiences with art as a child, he began to engage more regularly as an adult partly through workshops organized by LMH. A certain melancholy and dream-like imagination, based on unusual images and ideas are typical of his work. Daniel finds his topics in nature, in Christian mythology and in various symbolic motifs. He is inspired by his own experiences, feelings and poetry – his other artistic media. He mainly creates figural compositions within the landscape, often with female nudes. These works depict hidden emotional energy that uniquely connect art nouveau, expressionism and metaphysical painting. In addition to pastel and painting Horák often uses drawing and pen drawing mainly to sketch in preparation for larger works. One of his favorites topics presented in the LMH collection is captured in the series of paintings ‘Nadja’, inspired by the mysterious woman in André Breton’s book. These mystical works are veiled by a certain lyricism and create painterly metaphors for the feeling of merging with nature, somewhat similar to the art of Jan Zrzavý.
