Exodus
steel/wood
W 80cm - H 33cm
Year 2012
Artist - Henrich Zelinka
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Price
£ 850
Story behind the artwork
Exodus marks one of the most significant emotional turning points in my life. I moved from Slovakia to England in 2006, originally planning to stay for only two years. But the global crisis of 2008 changed everything, and by 2012, I had to face a difficult reality: I was staying. England was becoming my home, and the life I knew in Slovakia was becoming a memory.
Between 2008 and 2012, I had almost completely stopped creating art. I was focused entirely on the survival of my workshop and my trade. I tried to push my artistic side away, but the internal conflict of leaving my birthplace—the family, the friends, and the familiar soil—became too heavy to carry in silence.
I felt a profound connection to the biblical story of Exodus. Like the people wandering the desert in search of a new land, I felt I was in a "middle space." I was leaving behind the only world I knew to build a new one from nothing. I felt the weight of having nowhere to return to; the only way was forward.
The Creative Rebirth: Originally, I wanted to mount the crowd of forged figures onto stone to represent the desert, but the weight was impractical for a wall-hanging piece. I chose a wooden base instead, which allowed me to focus on the movement of the figures—a mass of humanity pushing toward an unknown horizon.
When I look at Exodus today, it brings back the exact vibration of that time—the fear, the hope, and the search for home. More importantly, this was the work that made me realize I cannot function without art. I realized that expressing my feelings through fire and iron is not a hobby; it is a necessity for my soul. Since finishing Exodus, I have never stopped creating.
The stories behind my artwork, the opportunities in The Lighthouse, and the reflections of the Morning Muse are my ways of keeping the lamp lit for our creative community. These resources will always be free to access. If they have found you at the right time, consider fueling the forge to help keep the fire burning. Your support, in any amount, is deeply appreciated.
