Zuzana Rosíková was born and lives in Brezno. Both parents and grandparents come from Čierny Balog. He is dressed in a festive traditional folk dress from this village, „dievocký“. Father and mother are bearers of folk tradition, they lead a local folklore group. Although they operate in an urban environment, tradition, songs and dances are part of their life. Just like the clothes of the grandparents, which they wear according to custom and occasion.

The photo shows two generations of Marget women. Hana, Dominika and Dajana, born in Šumiac. They are dressed in local traditional folk clothing (ceremonial and work). The eldest, Hanka, is wearing her mother’s skirt. Mária Margetová, the bearer of the folk tradition, died a few days before the actual photography. Clothing, dialects, songs and dances were never purposefully learned. They grew up with their grandparents in one multi-generational house, where tradition was lived.

The Bearers (2022)

Since the tradition is passed down from father to son, from mother to daughter, from grandparents to grandchildren, these young people naturally become the bearers. Verbal and non-verbal expression is demonstrated authentically, not learned. Each generation brings a different, changed legacy. The question is how long the next, new generations of tradition bearers will be able to emerge in the post-archaic form. Therefore, my endeavor is to capture today’s young people, perhaps first-time voters, in the traditional, ceremonial clothing of their elderly and great-grandparents.
The Nositelia project is a continuation of my previous cycles about Slovakia (Slovakia I’m lovin‘ it, From a Life of a Country, Homeland, Bratislava – Košice and back), in which I am looking for an answer to the question of who is a Slovak. With portrait and reportage photography, I try to capture a glimpse of the past in today’s urban space of modern housing estates, uniform boarding schools, and block of flats.
What does it mean to be a „proud Slovak“ in Slovakia?