Leon Zuodar (born 1977) is a Slovene artist who works both within established institutions and as a street artist, consequently ignoring the hierarchies of the art world and creating his own distributions systems, producing artist books, drawings, paintings, sculptures and performances with small means used to outmost efficiency. Together with Miha Perne he works under the moniker Beli Sladoled (White Ice-cream) and earlier this year they were selected for the OHO award. Together with Perne as well as solo, Zuodar has exhibited extensively across Europe, both in established venues and in more alternative spaces. Zuodar’s work is full of narratives and reflections steaming out of the artists views on our society and memories of growing up in Yugoslavia, but the social commentary serve as a vehicle for personal and intimate stories rather than political statements. His work is full of warmth and humanity and seeing his works, long lost memories from your own childhood might just as well be stirred to the surface. Zuodar’s visual language is both naïve and formally exquisite at the same time, and when one adds a large dose of wittiness and humour to the mix one have a quite tasty dish.  When we catch ourselves leaving the exhibition with a smile or at the least not in a bad mood, let us remind ourselves that art is art even when it is not pointing its finger at the terrible perils that neither we, nor the artist or curator or the institution will even attempt to solve. Let us remind ourselves, that art is to be seen and felt and that is does not necessarily have to be literally explainable with words.

Beli Sladoled website: http://www.belisladoled.org/