COMING SOON: Sparks from the Kiln of Life – an exhibition of works by Rudolf Dzurko

When: from 27 Nov 2026

Where: Museum of Romani Culture, Bratislavská 67, Brno

Sparks from the Kiln of Life

Exhibition of paintings by Rudolf Dzurko

Rudolf Dzurko (1941–2013) is among the most distinctive representatives of Romani visual art in the second half of the 20th century. A self-taught artist, storyteller and musician, he developed a distinctive technique of paintings made from coloured crushed glass, which became a hallmark of his work. In his pictures he combined personal memories, family stories and the Romani tradition of oral storytelling with imagination. He depicted a world he knew intimately and explored themes of home, family, loneliness, loss and human dignity.

The exhibition Sparks from the Kiln of Life presents thirteen paintings that have recently enriched the collection of the Museum of Romani Culture. They are not arranged chronologically but form an imagined path through human life. Its central motif is the kiln – a place of family gathering and safety, but also a symbol of fire that can both warm and destroy. The individual paintings capture moments of life, memories and stories in which reality blends with fantasy and ordinary people take on almost legendary dimensions.

Family memory and the Romani tradition of storytelling play an important role in Dzurko's work. Trees, musical instruments and figures from his surroundings carry further meanings and connect personal experience with broader questions of human existence. The crushed glass, which captures and reflects light, also seems to suggest the changeability of memories and their sharp edges.

The title of the exhibition refers to the painting The Secret of the Yellow Apron beneath the Stoves of Life. The theme of the journey is also linked to the Romani word drom, which means road but also fate. The wish „Phundrado drom!“ – „Open road!“ expresses a wish for a free and safe journey through life.

The Museum of Romani Culture has long preserved and commemorated Dzurko's artistic legacy. The exhibition invites visitors into his distinctive visual world, where personal stories meet collective memory and each visitor can find their own connections.

The exhibition was financially supported by the company STAREZ.

The opening of the exhibition will take place on 26 Nov 2026 at 5 pm in the exhibition spaces of the Museum of Romani Culture.

The acquisition of the exhibited works was funded in 2025 from the Acquisition Fund and the Integrated System for the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage programme – Purchase of Objects of Exceptional Cultural Value of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.