Huberto Široka: a love migrant

© Miro Zalokar

They say that Paris is the city of love. And it was the love between a Parisian woman and a Yugoslav man that gave us the artist, storyteller and master Huberto Široka. While his life took him to various cities all over the world, his story started unfolding in the Ljubljana of the 1980s, when architecture, literature, sculpting, dance, painting and other modern arts all nourished his artistic creations, and when Zmago Modic brought him into the world of plastic arts. On his quest to find himself, he finally came back to Bled to reconnect with his roots. Široka represents the third generation of artists creating in the cosy and intimate studio, consumed by the metropolitan spirit, where precious metals are used to create jewellery recounting the experiences of the life and love lived by this curious-spirited master with a sparkle in his eye.

© Tomo Jeseničnik

In his hometown of Bled, he finally discovered the freedom and truth he was working so tirelessly to find, as he took over his grandfather’s craft by force of circumstances. With a diploma in jewellery foundation, he chose the path of an artist, combining his goldsmithing and silversmithing talents with his dreams to create jewellery that beautifies everyone, elevating them even on the dreariest of days. He received numerous awards and recognitions for his work, both at home and abroad, and is most proud of the award named after Frida Kahlo that he received during a competition in Italy. His works combine birth and travelling through time, but also the vulva and the genuine beauty of the world which kills - or so says the master.

© Miro Zalokar

He sees himself as a persistent, patient master with black fingers, eliciting genuine and heartfelt stories from metals under the weight of the hammer. In his mind, the space next to the lake that spoke to him is connected to the sound of the hammer of the master who forged a beautiful clasp 1,500 years before our time to make exquisite ladies happy. 1,500 years later, the hammer once again sounds late into the night, awakening traditional techniques that are helping Široka to create jewellery that conveys the long-forgotten worlds in our minds and makes us happy, and passing this happiness to others through us. When we hear the sound of the hammer in Bled at night, you cannot always tell which one of the masters is hammering away at such a late hour ... is it master Široka or the master who used to create on the other side of the lake, in the castle, all those centuries ago?

In the past, this artistically prone location has been created by natives and foreigners alike who have built their summer homes in Bled. They include outstanding virtuosos in their field, such as the writer and sculptor Tone Svetina, the master of poetic forms Boris A. Novak, one of the most prominent Slovenian contemporary painters Metka Krašovec, the painter and illustrator Melita Vovk, and the painter Ejti Štih.

© Tomo Jeseničnik

Široka says that Bled makes him the happiest. It is not only beautiful but also boasts an abundance of positive and mythical energies, which is also a feature of the sacred Bohinj Triangle of which Bled is also a part. In Bled, he found the calm and magic that he still finds most appealing today. He expressed his love to the town by reviving its symbol, Bled’s bird of paradise, a clasp in the form of a peacock that has been discovered during archaeological excavations at Pristava under Bled Castle and that is among the most beautiful findings revealed in Bled. The bird symbolises the source of life and wealth, and personifies Bled in the past, the present and the future.

© Miro Zalokar

Široka believes that the entire location is magical; even though he has his favourite spots, he is most fond of taking a walk around the lake since he loves the people, the whirl and the rush. Every season delights him with various colours, new images and magical views, transforming every single step into a completely unique experience.

We invite you to take a peek into the magical world of Huberto Široka who will help you create your own jewellery that will make you happy, enveloping each and every day into a layer of mystery that can only be found in Bled.

Nika Pirnar

Public relations for Bled Tourist Board