Pavol Zelina (b. 1978, Slovakia) is a contemporary artist based in Utrecht, the Netherlands, best known for his conceptual abstract paintings. At the core of Zelina’s practice is an exploration of the creative process itself and its relationship to human...
Read MorePavol Zelina (b. 1978, Slovakia) is a contemporary artist based in Utrecht, the Netherlands, best known for his conceptual abstract paintings. At the core of Zelina’s practice is an exploration of the creative process itself and its relationship to human cognition. Complex and luminous compositions emerge through the accumulation of multiple layers, combining a wide range of techniques and materials, including acrylic and oil paint, pastel, markers, spray paint, coded signs suggestive of language, and elements of écriture automatique. As a neuroscientist-turned-artist, Zelina focuses on investigating the cognitive forces that drive artistic creation. Through this inquiry, his work critically examines what constitutes a meaningful artistic decision and which elements may be considered incidental or superfluous. At the same time, his paintings serve as records of the human mind engaged in the act of creating, capturing the dynamics of thought as it unfolds on the canvas.
Pavol Zelina has exhibited widely, including at Basel Art Center (2026) Switzerland; The Long Gallery/CCA Galleries (2026) United Kingdom; Gallery Art&Miss (2019 - 25) in Paris, France; Gallery Art Keller 24 (2018) in Utrecht, the Netherlands; and Gallery Maison de la Lithographie Les Amis De Frédéric Charmat (2015) in Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, France, among others. His work is part of the permanent collection of Gallery Maison de la Lithographie Les Amis De Frédéric Charmat and is held by private collectors across France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Slovakia. Zelina’s early recognition at age 21 includes an honorary mention at the 1999 National Exhibition of Non-Professional Visual Art in Bratislava, Slovakia.
