Ráchel Jutka - Paradox blízkosti

Paradox of Proximity
Ráchel Jutka

Exhibition curator: Petra Housková
Exhibition opening: 10/04/2026 / 19:00
Duration of the exhibition: 11/04 — 24/05/2026
Šopa Gallery, Hlavná 40, Košice
Opening hours hours:
WED - FRI / 15.00 - 18.00


Where does the painting end and the relationship begin? Proximity in the works of Ráchel Jutka is not defined by distance – it is conquered by matter, process and time. The author uses cyanotype to materialize fragments of personal memory. Here, palm trees, sand, horses, glimpses of childhood and roads become a chemical trace on the fabric, firmly embedded in raw canvases and in the bodies of old furniture.
These images do not require immediate readability. They were created slowly, dependent on light and chemical processes, without the possibility of digital correction. Painting works in a similar way: it is built over time, through intuition, application and conscious covering.
At this point, Jutka directly opposes the logic of contemporary image flows. While the social media world consumes visuals in split seconds, her works force a pause. The stitching together of fragments, the layering of structures and the physical placement of memory in space are gestures that invite the viewer to a different kind of presence — slow, focused, bodily.


Ráchel Jutka is a visual artist, laureate of the Oskar Čepan Prize 2025, a graduate of the Image Studio (Faculty of Arts of the Technical University in Košice), and a graduate of the Fine Art Ba Hons study in Northern Scotland (University of the Highlands and Islands). Jutka has participated in many art projects, residencies and collaborations in Great Britain and the EU. Thanks to her bachelor thesis, Ráchel was selected for the exhibition.
She further exhibited her works at collective exhibitions such as: Art is Not a Competition But I'm Winning - Galéria Ján Koniarka (SK), Bold Red Line - VUNU (SK), Your Water Our Water - Delphi Space (DE), aqb Budapest (HU), U10 Space, Belgrade (RS), Soil Not Oil - Slovak Institute in Prague (CZ), New Contemporaries 2023, Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh (UK) and others. Her solo exhibitions include: Modrá Studňa in ktc Hájovňa, 2023; Another Profile pic in Šopa Gallery, 2023; Objects in the mirror may actually be closer than they seem in Galerija na trejhom, ARTA, 2025.

The project was supported by the Tatra banka Foundation.

//EN

Paradox of Closeness
Ráchel Jutka

Curated by Petra Housková
Exhibition opening: April 10, 2026 / 7.00 PM
Exhibition Duration: April 11 – May 24, 2026
Šopa Gallery, Hlavná 40, Košice
Opening hours: TUE – FRI / 3:00 – 6:00 PM


Where does an image end and a relationship begin? Closeness in Ráchel Jutka's work is not defined by distance. It is won through matter, process, and time. The artist uses cyanotype to materialize fragments of personal memory. Palms, sand, horses, flashes of childhood, and travel become chemical traces on fabric. They are firmly embedded in raw canvases and in the bodies of old furniture. These images do not demand immediate legibility.
They emerged slowly, dependent on light and chemical processes, without digital correction. Painting is similar: it develops over time, through intuition, layering, and concealment.
At this point, Jutka directly opposes the logic of contemporary image flows. While the world of social media consumes visuality in fractions of a second, her works demand a pause. Stitching fragments, layering structures, and physically embedding memory into space are gestures that invite the viewer into a different kind of presence — slow, attentive, bodily.


Ráchel Jutka is a visual artist and the 2025 laureate of the Oskár Čepan Award. She graduated from the Studio of Painting at the Faculty of Arts, Technical University of Košice, and the Fine Art BA Hons program at the University of the Highlands and Islands, northern Scotland. Jutka has participated in numerous artistic projects, residencies, and collaborations across the UK and the EU. Her undergraduate work earned her a place in the New Contemporaries exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh in 2023.
Her work has appeared in group exhibitions such as Art is Not a Competition But I'm Winning, Galéria Jána Koniarka (SK); Bold Red Line, VUNU (SK); Your Water Our Water, Delphi Space (DE); aqb Budapest (HU); U10 Space, Belgrade (RS); New Contemporaries 2023, Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh (UK); and Soil Not Oil, Slovak Institute in Prague (CZ), among others. Her solo exhibitions are Modrá Studňa, KTC Hájovňa, 2023; Another Profile Pic, Šopa Gallery, 2023; and Objects in the Mirror May Be Closer Than They Appear, Galéria na trejóm, ARTA, 2025.

The project is supported by the Tatra Bank Foundation.