Štefan Sekáč My passion for design art developed naturally. Since childhood, I’ve felt that I perceive the world more sensitively and attentively

Štefan Sekáč is a graduate of the Department of Applied Arts, Ceramics Studio at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava, Slovak Republic, where he completed his master’s degree in 2018 with his diploma thesis. His work primarily focuses on ceramics and porcelain, with an artistic practice centered on creative experimentation, criticism of consumer trends, and the search for new models and ideals of the present. His work represents a significant strand of contemporary ceramic art in Slovakia and responds through his pieces to social phenomena and current themes. He is currently based in Bratislava, actively engaged in his own artistic creation and exhibition activities. He received the main prize at Bratislava Design Week for his diploma thesis.

Štefan Sekáč has had numerous successful exhibitions and collaborations, completed international residencies and work placements, and earned several awards and nominations. His works have been presented at prestigious international events such as Biennale Révélations at the Grand Palais in Paris (2019), 1000 Vases during Paris Design Week (2019), Salone del Mobile in Milan (2020), as well as Bratislava Design Week in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. He has also exhibited at Designblok in Prague (2018, 2022, 2024), 360 Design Budapest (2022), the Design Without Borders exhibition in Budapest (2022), and at Milan Design Week, London Design Week, and Miami Design Week in 2024. In 2023 and 2024, he also held solo exhibitions in Bratislava.

In 2025, he participated in the prestigious Milan Design Week through the Alcova platform and was a finalist in the Design Parade Hyères 2025 competition held at Villa Noailles in France.

exhibition wien fetishmorphy 2025 photo by Ján Skaličan

1.What are the biggest challenges you have met in your career?

One of the biggest challenges in my career is working with porcelain itself – a material that is both technically demanding and highly sensitive to precision, especially when creating oversized vases. Even the smallest deviation can affect the final result. The process is also time-consuming, requiring patience and strict adherence to every stage, particularly when casting into plaster molds. I create in my own studio, where I take on many roles – from designer and maker to communicator and presenter. Every day in the studio is a new lesson that pushes me further. I constantly experiment with form and technique, which I see as an essential part of my artistic journey. Creating is not just my job – it’s my way of life. It allows me to bring high-quality, sustainable design to life.

fetismorphy object xs blue 2024 photo by Livia Štokingerová

2. How was your passion design art born?

My passion for design art developed naturally. Since childhood, I’ve felt that I perceive the world more sensitively and attentively. I was raised in a creative environment – my mother was artistically gifted and my sister was a strong role model for me in art. From an early age, I was encouraged to express myself freely through creativity, which deeply rooted my connection to art. I often say that porcelain chose me, and I accepted it with humility. I started studying ceramics in high school, followed by porcelain at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. I’ve now been working with porcelain and ceramics for 17 years. Design is an inseparable part of my expression – it’s a daily ritual, a way of perceiving the world around me, and a driving force behind my continuous passion.

FET!S collection 2020 photo by Livia Štokingerová

3.What is your main source of inspiration?

My main source of inspiration is life itself – its layers, contrasts, and the culture of the present moment. My work reflects contemporary culture with a strong emphasis on authorial design. I strive to create objects that balance between art and utility, merging conceptual ideas with experimental approaches. My pieces often reference pop culture and consumerism, carrying a sense of irony or lightness that mirrors today’s reality. I aim for my works to tell a story – one that each viewer can interpret in their own way, giving my collections a unique visual language. This forms the ideological framework of my work, which is always conceptually anchored.

The subject of many of my pieces – such as balloon models – is primarily associated with illusion, spectacle, and fleetingness. By capturing these forms in static porcelain, I preserve a moment of illusion and transform it into a lasting object. The glossy surfaces, reminiscent of precious metals, reflect not only their surroundings but also our own narcissistic tendencies. Every object is a unique original – even an unplanned “error” in the production process can enhance its uniqueness and collector’s value.

While my earlier work focused on symmetrical forms, I’ve recently moved toward a more gestural, intuitive approach. What once resembled textile weaving has evolved into drawn, fluid lines that expand freely into space, resulting in strong biomorphic qualities and visual fluidity.

4.What does art mean to you?

Art is a way of being – a language through which I express what cannot always be said in words. It’s a space where intuition meets craft, emotion meets concept, and even silence can speak. Through art, I respond to the world around me, reflect societal issues, personal emotions, and collective experiences.

I love fun and playful things – for me, design and art are a wide spectrum of perceptions that, as an artist, I can shape and express through a visual language that speaks for itself. I enjoy art that provokes strong emotions – whether it’s joy, anger, surprise, or reflection. That’s the essence of art – it moves something within us. That’s why I believe art and design should always be close to us, part of our everyday lives.

For me, art is both freedom and responsibility – and above all, it’s a path of constant discovery and meaningful creation.

Štefan Sekáč

FETISHMORPHY VASES is a collection of vases made from fine French porcelain. Through the realization and creation of these objects, artist Štefan Sekáč shapes a biomorphic, linearly folded structure that reflects his signature sculptural language.

Štefan Sekáč primarily works with porcelain, dedicating his practice not only to the technological aspects of the material but also to visual experimentation. His work is driven by sculptural exploration and handcrafted modeling, opening up new possibilities in how dynamic forms can be expressed through porcelain.

When creating the models for his vases, the artist uses ephemeral materials—specifically, modeling balloons—which he stabilizes and captures in plaster molds. Once treated, these molds are filled with porcelain, transforming fragile, fleeting materials into “indestructible” porcelain objects. The result is a visually intense and emotionally charged shape, capturing the contrast between permanence and impermanence.

In his search for unconventional finishes and surface treatments, Sekáč chose to apply titanium plating to this collection.
Titanium plating technology involves spraying pure solid titanium at high temperatures inside a special furnace. A reactive gas is introduced simultaneously, which interacts with the metal particles, creating a plasma that settles on the surface of the object. This process results in a thin, metallically reflective, and extremely hard coating that is visually indistinguishable from precious metals.

With the FETISHMORPHY VASES collection, Štefan Sekáč invites the viewer into a clearly defined aesthetic, aiming to fully explore and utilize the cultural potential of contemporary porcelain design.

In this current body of work, the artist further investigates the connection to drawing, as well as an obsessive search for an individual line, which brings a new quality of visual fluidity to the objects. The vases exhibit distinctive biomorphic elements that appear to expand freely into the surrounding space, blurring the boundary between sculpture, design, and artistic gesture.