Ľudovít Štúr Museum

The Ignác Bizmayer Gallery presents a representative selection of works by Ignác Bizmayer, a leading figure in figurative ceramic art in Slovakia. The gallery is located in a round bastion of the city fortifications from the first half of the 17th century and was opened in 1994 during the World Congress of Ceramists.

Ignác Bizmayer (April 20, 1922, Košolná, Western Slovakia) came from a family with Haban roots. As a young boy, he participated in archaeological ceramic research in his hometown, which sparked his lifelong fascination with ceramics. He trained at the Ceramic School in Modra, worked as a painter and master in a ceramic workshop, and eventually settled in Modra. From the start, he showed a deep interest in figurative art, which he pursued through travel across Slovakia from 1938 to 1950. During these travels, he studied the lives, work, and customs of ordinary people, paying special attention to winemaking and pottery traditions.

Through his exceptional sensitivity and attention to detail, Bizmayer captured an entire range of characters from their original, natural environments. He immortalized a disappearing old world, which had almost completely vanished in recent decades, in clay. His works adorn the collections of many private collectors, museums, and galleries, and have been exhibited both domestically and internationally. The displayed works are part of the collections of the Slovak National Museum – Museum of Ľudovít Štúr in Modra and the Historical Museum in Bratislava.