Gallery ATELIER HLAVINA — ESTER AND ALBATROS

Exhibition of Children’s Book Illustrations by Writer and Illustrator Hana Naglik

In the month dedicated to celebrating children, the ATELIER HLAVINA Gallery presents a new exhibition featuring a curated selection of book illustrations by Hana Naglik.

The exhibition takes its title from the first children’s book written and illustrated by the artist — Ester and the Albatross. The book was published in 2004 by the Association for Helping Children with Oncology at the National Institute of Children’s Diseases, in collaboration with Jaga Publishing.

The publication received recognition in the prestigious Most Beautiful Book of Slovakia 2004 competition, in the category Literature for Children and Youth. Hana Naglik was also awarded the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic Prize for her outstanding illustrations.

Literary scholars described the book as a breakthrough work of the year and ranked it among the most notable titles in contemporary Slovak children’s literature. An excerpt from the book was later included in a reading textbook for third-grade primary school students.

Beyond her debut work, the exhibition also showcases illustrations from other books that Hana Naglik has either authored or illustrated.

The artworks are created using a variety of artistic techniques — from vibrant pastel drawings and watercolor-tinted sketches to pure watercolor compositions. The exhibition is further enriched by sculptures, a medium the artist has incorporated into her portfolio relatively recently.

Across all exhibited works, Naglik’s signature playfulness, distinctive visual language, and subtle sense of humor are clearly present.

Hana Naglik describes her creative process in her own words:

“Free creation is for a creative person what a free skate is for a figure skater. First, it is necessary to master the technical elements and compulsory routines — ideally without losing a single ‘point’ — and only then does space open up for the artist to present to the wider world what they find important, appealing, pleasant, and beautiful…”

Free artistic expression is always a reflection of the creator’s inner world. Playful contemplation, contemplative playfulness, carefully chosen color palettes, and expressively dynamic drawing—whether through line or textured surface—become a kind of visual diary of thought. This is characteristic of the illustrator and author of children’s literature working under the artistic name Hana Naglik.

Hana Naglik is the author and illustrator of the following books:

• Ester and the Albatross (2004) — awarded Most Beautiful Book of Slovakia 2004 in the category Literature for Children and Youth
• The Hedgehog and Other Sparkles (2011)
• Ester and the Turkeys (2012)
• The Mystery Beneath Black Hill (2013)
• Helping Doesn’t Hurt, Not Hurting Helps (2016)
• Saint Nicholas, Baby Jesus, and Other Complications (2018)
• Quido and Ester (2019)

She has also illustrated two books by author Margit Garajszki:

• Bobuľa (2011)
• Bobuľa and Ignác (2017)

For the brave: “Hana Naglik is a big, bearded, and perpetually frowning man. His name is Silvester Lavrík. Viera Žáková can confirm it.”