Kaya Sulc was born in the Czech Republic and moved to Australia in 1951. From 1960-1963 he studied at The National Art School in Sydney. He currently lives and works in Cooroy, Queensland. His signature copper sculptures and vibrant paintings exhibit a fascination with the human form. Sulc has been the recipient of many awards and is represented in private collections in Australia, Japan, Canada, Singapore, Germany, New Zealand and Switzerland Artist's Statement 'The human figure fascinates me both as a source of complex shapes and forms and as a subject of great evocative power. In my sculpture I like to push and pull and twist and distort my figures in order to make them speak. I simplify and exaggerate to accentuate the significant forms within the human figure, to reveal the underlying abstract structure. However, my figures always remain firmly based on reality, I want them to look real in an unrealistic way; distorted, contorted, but 'possible', capable of life, and as such, reflecting real life in their un-realness, their ambiguity, contradiction and even absurdity. The theme of the pair, the couple, joined or separated and searching, is running through my work, the dialogue between male and the female hopefully touching on some telling points. My sculptures are constructed from beaten and welded copper with the joins in the metal accentuated to contradict the realism of the figure. Similarly, while I like the natural surface of the copper, with its aged patina evocative of ancient cultures, often I introduce some harsh colour contrast to create a feeling of tension and discord.' Prizes & Awards 2004 First Prize Sculpture, Caloundra Art Festival ‘The Burden' 2002 First Prize Sculpture, Caloundra Art Festival 1999 Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane Prize for sculpture other than bronze 1996 Highly Commended Sculpture, Caloundra Art Festival 1995 Highly Commended Sculpture, Gold Coast Sculpture Award 1994 First Prize, Gold Coast Sculpture Award 1992 Highly Commended, Gold Coast Sculpture Award 1991 First Prize, Gold Coast Sculpture Award. 1967 Selected to hang in the Sulman Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales
