Maja Poljanc – Hortus Conclusus

You are cordially invited to the opening of Maja Poljanc’s exhibition at the Miha Maleš Gallery on Friday, 7 November 2025, at 6 p.m.

Maja Poljanc is the author of the first illustrated encyclopedia of Slovenian mythological beings (Encyclopedia Mythologica Slovenica), an important step toward filling the gaps in the visual representation of the Slovenian mythological pantheon. The exhibition presents 32 original illustrations of mythological creatures.

Slavic – and more specifically Slovenian – mythology is rich with deities rooted in Slavic mythical consciousness, most often associated with various aspects of nature. The exhibition features numerous deities such as Kresnik, Perun, Svarog, and the goddess Mokoš, to whom our ancestors attributed supernatural powers. The artist also illustrates beings from the realm of demonological folklore: nature and household spirits, various monsters and creatures, as well as the souls of the cursed who, according to legend, return to the world of the living.

Since graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts, Maja Poljanc has skillfully taken on the challenge of pure book illustration. By successfully blending a contemporary visual language with reminiscences of the past and elements of folk art, she increasingly collaborates with Slovenian authors — including Sebastijan Pregelj and Julija Lukovnjak (novels), Svetlana Makarovič (selected poems), and Katja Gorečan (choreopoems).

The artist and her work will be introduced by Katarina Dajčman, guest curator of the exhibition from the Museum of Dolenjska, Novo mesto.