PAUL PLETKA

Paul Pletka is a self-described neo-surrealistic painter whose work is considered both authentic and deeply spiritual. Throughout his life, he has been inspired by Native Americans of the Southwest, particularly those who lived in the late 19th century. Each stroke of his brush is the result of hours of research and contemplation, yet his work emerges from a deep, heartfelt connection to the human experience.

Pletka was born in Los Angeles, California. When he was 11 years old, his family moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, where he explored the untamed canyons of western Colorado and eastern Utah with his father. Drawing was his first artful love, and by the time he graduated high school, he’d won several art contests. In fact, during his college years, he pursued printmaking, not painting. It wasn’t until his later college years that he decided to explore painting.

As a boy, he’d been enchanted by Native American lore and cultures, but as he grew up, he realized that, as a non-Native person, his perspective was limited to his own cultural experiences. He began to refer to himself as an “interpreter” of Native American expression. That understanding and mindset has not only formed a foundation for his art, but has earned him the respect of an impressive list of international collectors and Native American artists.

Pletka has been featured in continuous solo exhibitions in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, New York, Kansas and Missouri since 1964. His paintings can also be found in more than 40 private and public art collections, including the Albany

Museum of Art, Albany, GA; Hallmark Cards, Kansas City, MO; Mel Pfaelzer Collection, University of Northern Illinois, De Kalb; the Norton Gallery & School of Art, West Palm Beach, FL; the Eddie Basha Collection, Chandler, AZ, and the United States Department of Interior, Washington, D.C.

Today, Pletka and his wife, Nancy, reside in Santa Fe.