Irena Korbar Hočevar’s artistic practice is rooted in a background in both graphic design and fabric design, disciplines that continue to inform her sensitivity to composition, surface, and materiality. After returning to painting, she reconnected with a lifelong passion for art, embracing the medium as a renewed form of personal expression and creative exploration.

Working with textured surfaces, Korbar Hočevar is particularly interested in the tactile qualities of painting and the dialogue between smoothness and roughness. Through the application of plaster, sanding techniques, and layered color, she creates compositions with subtle three-dimensional qualities that emphasize the physical presence of the painted surface. Her design background is reflected in her careful attention to structure, balance, and the interaction of materials.

Guided by intuition and experimentation, Korbar Hočevar approaches each work without predetermined rules or constraints. Her practice celebrates creative freedom, allowing materials, process, and instinct to shape the final composition. Through this open and exploratory approach, her paintings invite viewers to engage with both the visual and tactile dimensions of the work.