The Artist
Joseph Vodlan
Painter & Sculptor · b. 1938, Klenovo, Slovenia
Joze Vodlan
Charlotte, NC
Early Life
Joze Vodlan was born in 1938 in Klenovo, a town near Rimske Toplice, Slovenia. He was the eighth child of Franc and Helena Vodlan. Expected to inherit the family farm after his father's death, he instead pursued a different calling entirely.
Education & Training
After completing secondary school in Celje and Maribor, Vodlan pursued formal art training. In 1958, he enrolled at the Art Academy in Linz, Austria, where he studied under Professor Herbert Dimmel and graduated with honors in 1963.
Early Career in Austria
While a student, Vodlan supported himself through painting and restoration work in northern Austria. He collaborated with academic restorers Ludwig Peische and Anton Teckert. His notable conservation projects included uncovering and preserving 12th and 13th century frescoes in Bad Kreuzen, restoration work at the sepulchral site in Gmuend, the old Catholic Church in Linz, and contributions to the Linz Museum restoration.
The American Period
Vodlan immigrated to America after graduating. In Cleveland, Ohio, he met sculptor France Gorse and reconnected with painter Miro Zupancic, a childhood friend. Together they established the art club Lok, which operated until 1970 when Gorse returned to Europe. The club exhibited in Cleveland, New York City, Toronto, Washington DC, and Buenos Aires.
Vodlan subsequently worked in graphic design for prominent American companies, but throughout the 1970s, seeking deeper artistic engagement, he refocused on painting. He remained active in the Slovenian community in New York during this period.
“Festive paintings that awaken peace and reflect the global, universal, psychic, and emotional dispositions within the heart.”
Artistic Philosophy
Vodlan's paintings remain deliberately untitled to encourage personal viewer interpretation. His works span abstract compositions, frescoes, portraits, scenes, and sculpture — a body of work that defies easy categorization while maintaining a consistent artistic vision across seven decades.
Present Day
Joseph Vodlan currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he continues creating artwork in his home studio with his family. His career spans seven decades and three continents, with exhibitions from the Vatican to the Embassy of Slovenia in Washington DC.