Today we feature something a little different than our usual interview format. We are excited to present an art project with so much heart, we hope our art enthusiasts will find and be interested in learning more about the program, the artists and their work.

Maják is a Slovakian non-profit residency tending to individuals with deaf blindness. For the past 15 years, they have been conducting programs and workshops as art therapy and the results have been so beautiful and inspiring, the organization has decided to bring them into the art space. These following artists, despite their limitations, demonstrate how conquering life's hardships can result in impressive outcomes. The art is made entirely by touch, proving the unlimited power of the human potential.

Who they are

• PETER

34-year-old Peter is one of Maják's most reserved residents. Despite, or perhaps because of, his visual and auditory impairment, he is bestowed with a good memory that can memorize his experience through an imaginative perception of the outer world.

• MARTIN

Martin arrived at Maják with auditory and visual impairment, and suffers mobility issues making it difficult to independently engage in everyday activities.. An intelligent person, he loves to write, through which he possesses a wide range of vocabulary. Disheartened by the abandonment and abuse throughout his life, Martin often ponders over his existence: asking important questions, others may not be so ready to.

• JURAJ

His poor eyesight prevented him from learning to paint. At Maják, he finally found a place to think, relax, and be with himself. A self-aware resident, he can't help but describe how his deteriorating tunnel vision and auditory impairment hindered him to always seek help from outside. He prefers using sign language to communicate, despite his frequent struggle to understand it. His caring and scholarly curious personalities are expressed through his spiritual canvas depicting his work with themes of nature and protective figures.

• KRISTINA (KIKA)

When 33-year-old Kika moved to Maják, it quickly became her second home. A keen painter, Kika can easily get lost in her emotions during art therapy sessions. The texture, reflections, and contact with canvas provide her with serenity as well as aesthetic simulation. Colours are her signature traits, which appear throughout all her creations. A radical painter paints the whole body: she needs to have colours throughout the body to feel the stimulation flowing around her. She considers this a cleansing ritual that peels off her mask to show her true self.

We want to thank Victory Art so much for introducing us to this wonderful platform/exhibition and group of artists who are truly inspiring on every level.   The thing that inspires and guides Maják’s artists is not the idea that the artwork has to look a certain way, their goal is to focus on expressing their emotions on the canvas. Victory Art has made it its mission to make art accessible to everyone and to show people how important art is to the human experience.