Born in Košice, Slovakia, and now living in Switzerland, Libuša Němcová moves between two very different worlds. She spends her days as a full-time caregiver, supporting others in their most vulnerable moments. But in the quieter pockets of time—late at night or between tasks—she turns to painting. That’s where something else takes shape. Not a career built on noise or spotlight, but a steady, grounded creative path that began with childhood doodles and grew quietly over the years.
Her first public sales exhibition opened in July 2024 at the Beautiful Art Gallery in Levoča. It marked a turning point—not just for her as an artist, but as someone learning how to bring their inner world into the public eye. A number of her pieces now remain on view as part of the gallery’s permanent display. For Libuša, who paints in the margins of a demanding job and studies new techniques online in her free time, this moment was deeply personal.
Her art is shaped by a desire to keep learning and to pay attention. Recently, she’s been working with oil paints, experimenting with texture and light. Her focus isn’t on bold statements. Instead, she leans into quiet scenes and familiar places, allowing them to unfold slowly on the canvas. There’s no rush. No pressure. Just an honest attempt to capture what she sees and feels.
One painting, In the Mansion Garden, reflects this approach. The work draws from classic oil painting styles, but there’s nothing old-fashioned about it. A modest shed anchors the composition, surrounded by trees swaying in a light breeze. The ground is soft with grass and dotted with flowers, and the entire piece feels hushed and warm—like a still morning remembered in full detail. It’s not about grandeur. It’s about presence. You can sense the care in how every element is placed.
Rather than dramatize the scene, Libuša lets it breathe. The painting doesn’t demand attention. It holds it, gently. It asks you to pause and take in the natural harmony of the moment. There’s a kind of quiet nostalgia here—not overly sentimental, but full of memory.
Her second oil painting, Winter Main Street, Košice, turns the focus to architecture and home. The Basilica of St. Elizabeth rises in the background, accompanied by the Chapel of St. Michael. Snow covers the street. Buildings stretch into the distance, weathered but standing. It’s a calm, reflective view of the city she came from—one that feels timeless.
This isn’t a postcard version of Košice. It’s personal. The light is soft. The colors are careful. The city feels like it’s been captured in a pause. Libuša doesn’t overwork the detail. Instead, she lets each shape, each shadow, speak for itself. There’s no need to explain the feeling—the painting does that on its own.
Her process is simple but dedicated. She watches, studies, tries new things. She doesn’t follow a clear path from art school or a gallery system. Her progress happens in layers, just like her paintings. There’s something refreshing in that—it reminds you that art doesn’t have to come from a studio to be worth something. It can come from a kitchen table at midnight. From a few quiet hours after work. From a memory that stays with you long enough to become a painting.
Libuša’s work is still growing. She continues to push herself, to study, to experiment. But she’s not in a rush. What matters is that she keeps going. Each piece builds on the last. Each painting is part of a larger story—one that’s grounded, honest, and deeply her own.
For anyone who thinks creative work has to start big, or early, or with a plan—her story offers another way. You can start where you are. You can learn as you go. And with time, your work will speak. Libuša’s paintings don’t shout. But they stay with you. And that says enough.
