Akvarene variacije

Watercolor exhibition – Janez Ovsec, Helena Kenda and Mirela Maver

The exhibition opening will take place on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at 5:00 PM.

Cultural program: Guitar Orchestra “JE KU JE”.

The exhibition will be on view until February 28, 2026.

Janez Ovsec spent his childhood in Stari trg pri Ložu. From an early age he was drawn to visual arts, which he developed during his secondary school years as a member of the art group of the Technical Schools’ Student Dormitory under the mentorship of Jože Pihler. He initially focused on working with wood, Siporex, and clay. After graduating from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in 1982, he devoted many years to his profession and family, while remaining closely connected to culture. Over the past seventeen years, he has been intensely engaged in artistic creation. He is a member and president of the Logatec Association of Visual Artists, a member of the Krpan Cerknica Cultural Association, and of the Leon Koporc visual arts section of KUD UKC Ljubljana. His primary technique is watercolor, which he has practiced for nearly twenty years under the mentorship of Peter Lazarević, further refining his skills with Ana Sluga, Jurij Kravcov, and at numerous workshops. He has held more than 20 solo exhibitions and participated in many group exhibitions in Slovenia and abroad. Among his most notable achievements are first prizes at the ex tempore events Sladka Istra (2012), Logatec (2016), and Cinober Idrija (2021). He regularly participates in the International Biennale of Watercolor Castra and in numerous international exhibitions and festivals, including those in Fabriano, Spain, France, Vietnam, Mexico, and Serbia. He lives and works in Logatec.

Helena Kenda has been involved in visual arts since her youth, more seriously since 2002. She initially worked with oil painting and watercolor, and in recent years primarily with acrylics; however, watercolor remains her central means of expression, inspiring her with its softness and transparency. She has refined her skills through numerous painting workshops and courses led by renowned Slovenian and international watercolor artists. She regularly participates in national and international ex tempore events and art workshops throughout Slovenia. She has held five solo exhibitions, the most recent in 2023 entirely dedicated to watercolors. She also takes part in numerous group exhibitions as a member of the Kul tu ra Renče art group and the Bovec amateur painters’ group. In 2024, she received second prize at the Ex tempore Kromberk for a watercolor on canvas. In 2023, 2024, and 2025, she was selected for IWS Slovenia Castra in Ajdovščina. In November 2025, she participated in the international exhibition ArtExpo Ljubljana at Brdo pri Kranju.

Mirela Maver is an amateur painter who works in various artistic techniques, focusing most intensively on watercolor in recent years. For her, painting is not merely a hobby, but a means of expression, inner peace, and creative fulfillment. In her works, she explores nature, capturing fleeting moments of light, atmosphere, and emotion. For over ten years, she has been a member of the Svetloba art group at the Deskle Cultural Association. She has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions, regularly exhibiting at the biennial regional JSKD exhibitions and taking part in plein air painting events in Slovenia and Italy. In 2025, she presented her work for the first time at the international exhibition Fabriano in Acquarello.