An artist of light whose talent has crossed borders

Publikované: dňa 23.6.2025

Our colleague, Ing. Ladislav Gubi, won prestigious awards in New York, Paris, Milan and Florence, where he impressed many experts and viewers with his original approach to digital art.

The University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava has reason to be proud. Our colleague, the artist known as Leo Symon, has been winning one international recognition after another in recent years. He has been working at our university since 2012 as a staff member of the Centre for Information and Communication Technologies. His works, which straddle the boundaries of digital art, light and abstract expression, have captivated juries and audiences in the art capitals of the world - from New York to Paris to Milan and Florence.

"Light is not just a visual element - it's a language we can speak without words. My aim is for the viewer not only to see, but to feel," says Leo Symon about his work.

Leo Symon has been exhibiting internationally since 2014. However, particular interest and success has come in the last two years:

2024 - won 1st place for digital art at prestigious exhibitions in New York and Paris. In a competition of thousands of artists from different continents, he captivated with his exceptional visual poetry of light and shape.
2025 - He was awarded for his innovative artistic approach at the prestigious ART EXPO New York, featuring more than 4,000 artists from around the world.
2025 - Won The Artist's Voice Award in Florence, given to artists who can reach an audience with their work regardless of culture, language or geography.
2025 - Won "The UNIVERSAL ARTIST" award at the prestigious exhibition on June 7, 2025 at the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology in Milan. It is awarded to artists with a distinctive personal style and the ability to innovate in the field of contemporary art.

Leo Symon uses light from a monitor instead of traditional brushes - literally creating colours and shapes on the screen using a touch pen, fingers, mouse or graphic tablet. In traditional painting, it's the other way around - light is captured from the paint. The result is works on various materials (paper, canvas, wood, metal) that evoke the classical painting tradition in their expression, but at the same time bear the strong signature of digital aesthetics and contemporary thinking.

Our colleague's works have been published in Slovakia and in international catalogues and exhibition collections or newspapers and magazines in Canada, the USA, Italy and the Czech Republic. He has also collaborated on illustrations of Slovak poetry, especially in collaboration with the poet Milan Tuma.

The work of Leo Symon - Ladislav Gubi is proof of the deep connection between the technical knowledge of the computer scientist and the finesse of the artist. He brings together the scientific, technical and artistic worlds, inspiring not only students, but also colleagues to innovate, be creative and dare to go beyond established boundaries. His international achievements also raise the profile of UCM as a modern, open and creative institution that promotes various forms of excellence.

🔗 More about his work: