Sacrificial Altar - The Valley, 1996

Lydia Jergusova-Vydarena  

Lýdia Jergušová-Vydarená (b. 1940, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia) is one of the leading figures of Slovak contemporary art. After studying architecture at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, she continued her education at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava between 1964 and 1968 under Professor Peter Matejka.

Her multidisciplinary practice spans monumental art, textile art, drawing, painting, and printmaking. From the 1960s through the 1980s, she completed numerous site-specific commissions for architectural spaces, including stained-glass works, mosaics, tapestries, and large-scale interior installations. A significant aspect of her oeuvre is her innovative approach to handwoven tapestry, in which she developed a distinctive technique of layered weft structures.

Since the 1990s, Jergušová-Vydarená has focused increasingly on graphic art, particularly screen printing and conceptually driven series that explore themes inspired by science, mathematics, and contemporary systems of knowledge. Her work is characterised by a unique dialogue between intuitive artistic expression and intellectual inquiry, investigating the relationships between nature, humanity, scientific discovery, and visual language.

Alongside her artistic practice, she has held academic positions at the Faculty of Architecture of the Slovak University of Technology, the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica, and the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. She also served as Vice-Rector of the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica.

Her work has been widely exhibited in both solo and group exhibitions in Slovakia and abroad and is represented in numerous public and private collections. Throughout her career, Jergušová-Vydarená has established herself as an artist whose work bridges artistic experimentation, intellectual rigor, and a profound engagement with the contemporary world.