Slovak artist Peter Uchnar brings dreamlike paintings to Seoul

Slovak artist Peter Uchnar creates a painting during a one-hour live drawing performance on the rooftop of CN Gallery in central Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Anna J. Park

At sunset on a quiet rooftop in Seoul, a vast canvas slowly turns blue. The painting, a work in progress, begins to take shape as layers of pigment build and recede, revealing the outline of a ship.

Slovak illustrator and painter Peter Uchnar developed the composition during a one-hour live painting performance at CN Gallery in central Seoul Wednesday evening, offering an unfiltered, real-time glimpse into his creative process.

His visit to Korea comes as CN Gallery presents “The Wave of Dreams,” an exhibition of works by Uchnar, one of central Europe’s most distinctive contemporary illustrators.

Slovak artist Peter Uchnar stands next to his painting at CN Gallery in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Anna J. Park

Organized as part of a cultural exchange initiative between Korea and Slovakia, the exhibition is supported by the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Korea and the Chungnam Culture and Tourism Foundation.

Through April 26, Korean audiences have a rare opportunity to experience a visual language shaped by both literary tradition and painterly experimentation. Uchnar is widely known for his illustrations inspired by “Gulliver’s Travels” and “Peter Pan.”

Across more than 60 published titles, including “The Big Book of Slovak Fairy Tales,” his work has introduced generations of readers to imaginative worlds where reality and fantasy intersect. He received early international recognition with a Golden Apple award at the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava, along with multiple honors from the Most Beautiful Books of Slovakia.

His works on view in Seoul highlight a distinctive technique combining layered acrylic paint with a scraping process that reveals underlying textures. The resulting imagery often appears fluid and weightless, with forms that seem to resist gravity. Rooted in a central European aesthetic that remains relatively unfamiliar in Korea, Uchnar’s work balances detailed realism with dreamlike distortion.

Peter Uchnar, right, and Slovak Ambassador to Korea Marek Repovsky pose at CN Gallery in Seoul, Wednesday, during the opening of Uchnar’s solo exhibit. Korea Times photo by Anna J. Park

“I hope this exhibition becomes a small bridge between Slovakia and Korea,” Uchnar said during the opening of his solo show in Seoul. “And I hope this evening remains a joyful memory.”

Slovak Ambassador to Korea Marek Repovsky echoed the sentiment, noting that viewers may find themselves briefly immersed in a fantastical world.

“He is known for his meticulous detail and rich use of color, as well as his ability to capture the depth of stories, myths and fairy tales. Above all, one of the greatest strengths of his work is how vividly it brings literary worlds to life in a way that resonates with both children and adults alike,” Reposvky noted.

“I’m sure that once you see the beautiful world he has created, you will, even for a short time, forget your daily routine and feel like Peter Pan or Gulliver in a fairy tale.”