T2 1000 g responds to the rate of postage of the 2nd class up to 1000 g - domestic servis. © Slovak Post, 2008 Jozef Baláž (14. 3. 1923 – 6. 7. 2006) – academic painter, graphic artist, illustrator, doyen of Slovak stamp designers, merited artist, and a significant personality of Slovak art and culture. He grew up artistically surrounded by significant Slovak painters such as Ján Mudroch, Gustáv Mallý, Jozef Kostka, Koloman Sokol, and Dezider Milly. Jozef Baláž, a student of Professor Ilja Beškov, graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia in 1954. Entering the artistic scene with a mature style, he became a member of the Život’ (Life) creative circle and ‘Klub grafikov’ (Graphic Artists’ Club). He was appointed an Honorary Member of the Association of Bulgarian Painters. His works comprise, for the most part, free style graphics and illustrations in books, magazines, and stamps. His distinctive illustrations can be found in numerous collections of poems such as ‘Ave Eva’ by Kostra, and ‘Slávy dcéra’ by Kollár, as well as novels, children’s books, and stories published in ‘Život’magazine. Jozef Baláž, the most significant Slovak stamp graphic artist, began to design stamps in 1957. His debut – the Tatra National Park – represents a significant milestone in the history of Slovak stamps. It marked a shift from the occasional and random experimenting of Slovak painters with stamp designs, to a continuous and persistent creative approach. His accomplishments in stamp graphic art comprise almost 150 issued postal stamps. He significantly contributed to the formation of Czechoslovak stamp graphic art and laid the foundations for Slovak stamp design. Jozef Baláž received dozens of awards for stamp design and was the first Slovak graphic artist to be awarded at the WIPA Grand Prix (third place, 1996). He was awarded the Ľudovít Štúr Order 2nd Class for an exceptional contribution to Slovak stamp graphic art. A reproduction of his lithograph entitled ‘Pre šťastie’ (For Luck), which featured on a Czechoslovak stamp in 1973, was intended as a compliment to his work. The Slovak stamp of the ‘Europa’ series featured a section from the artprotis tapestry entitled ‘Tekovská svadba’ (The Tekov Wedding). This stamp, featuring a book illustration, provides a glimpse into the wide palette of works by Jozef Baláž. It should be viewed as a tribute to the artist whose distinct style has shaped the development of the stamp as an artistic medium. Antónia Paulinyová