Jaroslav Valek
Profile

Jaroslav Valek studied surface and plastic engraving of metals at the Middle Art and Industry School in Kremnica (1974–1978). Afterwards, he majored in stage design from the Theatre Faculty, Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (1978–1983) under the leadership of Ludmila Purkyňová, Ladislav Vychodil, and Otto Šujan. While still a student, he took a job at the Silesian Theatre of Zděnek Nejedlý in Opava (the present Silesian Theatre Opava) as a stage designer and set director (1983–1984). In 1985, he started working as a stage designer for the Slovak National Uprising Theatre in Martin (the present Slovak Chamber Theatre), where he worked as set director between 1990 and 1996. In the period 1997–2002, he organized and produced stage and costume design for numerous Slovak and Czech theatres. From 2002 till 2015 he was the artistic director or production at the State Opera in Banská Bystrica. Simultaneously, he taught at the Department of Direction and Dramaturgy at the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica (2002–2013). Between 2015 and 2019, he was the director of the Art and Decoration workshops of the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava. As a stage designer, he has worked for theatres in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, and Serbia.

In 1978, 1982, 1986, and 1995, Valek took part in the international stage design exhibition the Prague Quadrennial. In 2011, he was the author of the Slovak exhibition there. He has regularly participated in theatre festivals as well and has collaborated on several projects of the PRO SCENA civic association. In addition to that, he is a professional costume designer for the theatre, wors as a graphic and theatre poster artist.