BIO:

Pavol Zelina (b. 1978, Slovakia) is a contemporary artist based in Utrecht, the Netherlands, best known for his conceptual abstract paintings. At the core of Zelina’s practice is an exploration of the creative process itself and its relationship to human cognition. Complex and luminous compositions emerge through the accumulation of multiple layers, combining a wide range of techniques and materials, including acrylic and oil paint, pastel, markers, spray paint, coded signs suggestive of language, and elements of écriture automatique. As a neuroscientist-turned-artist, Zelina focuses on investigating the cognitive forces that drive artistic creation. Through this inquiry, his work critically examines what constitutes a meaningful artistic decision and which elements may be considered incidental or superfluous. At the same time, his paintings serve as records of the human mind engaged in the act of creating, capturing the dynamics of thought as it unfolds on the canvas.

Pavol Zelina has exhibited widely, including at Basel Art Center (2026) Switzerland; The Long Gallery/CCA Galleries (2026) United Kingdom; Gallery Art&Miss (2019 - 25) in Paris, France; Gallery Art Keller 24 (2018) in Utrecht, the Netherlands; and Gallery Maison de la Lithographie Les Amis De Frédéric Charmat (2015) in Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, France, among others. His work is part of the permanent collection of Gallery Maison de la Lithographie Les Amis De Frédéric Charmat and is held by private collectors across France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Slovakia. Zelina’s early recognition at age 21 includes an honorary mention at the 1999 National Exhibition of Non-Professional Visual Art in Bratislava, Slovakia.

CV:

Born 1978, Prešov, Slovakia
Resides in Utrecht, Netherlands


SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2015, Gallery Maison de la Lithographie Les Amis De Frédéric Charmat, Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, France
2004, ‘Warum der Mensch’ – Gallery ‘Atelier Unsichtbar’, Stuttgart, Germany
2003, ‘Warum der Mensch’ – Gallery ‘Grüner Ängel’, Heidelberg, Germany

GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2026, Survival Rituals, Basel Art Center, Basel Art week 2026, Basel, Switzerland
2026, ‘CCA Galleries Emerging Artist Awards 2026’, CCA Galleries/The Long Gallery, Tilford, UK
2025, ‘Gooi & Vecht. Groen, Monumentaal en Creatief’, Het Nederlands Vestingmuseum, Naarden , The Netherlands
2025, ‘Art Abstrait’ Gallery ‘Art&Miss’, Paris, France2024, ‘Bleu, bleu, bleu les rêves en bleu’ Gallery ‘Art&Miss’, Paris, France
2023, ‘Exposition Internationale’ Gallery ‘Art&Miss’, Paris, France
2019, Gallery ‘Art&Miss’, Paris, France
2018, Gallery ‘Art Keller 24’, Utrecht, The Netherlands
2015, ‘Musée Adzak’, Paris, France
2008, ‘West Cove Studios’, City Wide Open Studios, New Haven, USA
2004, Gallery ‘Grüner Ängel’, with Matthias Maaβ, Heidelberg, Germany
2004, International center Heidelberg, ‘Action Inter’ with poet Joerg Martin Hartmann, Heidelberg, Germany 
1999, National exhibition of non-professional visual art ‘Výtvarné spectrum’ Bratislava, Slovakia (Honorary mention)
1999, ‘Artistic aspirations’ Bratislava, Slovakia

COLLECTIONS:
Permanent collection of Gallery Maison de la Lithographie Les Amis De Frédéric Charmat, Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, France.
Pavol Zelina is collected by various private collectors in USA, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

AWARDS:
2026, Shortlist,  the House of Hulda × Rise Art Residency 2026
2026, Shortlist, CCA Galleries Emerging Artist Awards 2026
2026, Longlist, Jackson’s Art Prize (International juried competition)
1999, Honorary mention, National exhibition of non-professional visual art ‘Výtvarné spectrum’ , Bratislava, Slovakia
1998, 1999, Diplom, ‘Artistic aspirations’ Bratislava, Slovakia