Born in the Kokava mountains, where his grandparents managed the household, he grew up in Hnúšťa, where his father came to work as a driver. Above Hnúšťa was a shepherd’s hut, and since his father loved žinčica, as a young boy he used to go there with a little jug for žinčica. The shepherd, a huge man, had beautiful ladles laid out on a shelf in the hut. When adults visited, he would pour žinčica into the ladles for them. But for the little boy, even though he bought žinčica, he would only pour it into a tin cup, so as not to ruin the ladle. And so he decided that he would make one for himself, let them keep theirs… He practically got a touch of the craft as a trained locksmith after school at the parental home in Maša near Klenovec, where he started dabbling in folk art production alongside his work on the farm. He cast valaškas for children’s ensembles, made belts, later moved on to woodwork, also under the influence of carver Ján Procner, whom he met at work in a mine in Handlová.

One day a colleague convinced him to try showing his wooden relief paintings at ÚĽUV. The artist who welcomed him at ÚĽUV evaluated his previous work by saying that it would be a topic for a longer discussion. But it was reportedly worth it. He gained a lot of insight, as he puts it, and was directed towards ladle production. He has been actively producing since 1984.

At first, he made Gemer-type ladles, today he produces all three basic types (Northern Slovak, Central Slovak, Eastern Slovak) according to the typification made by ÚĽUV artist Václav Kautman. He always sticks to their original features, and although he varies the embellishments, the construction of the ladles remains unchanged for him. In the early days, he was encouraged by compliments from the men working at the shepherd’s hut. Overall, he enjoys listening to the elderly, enjoys studying, one can learn a lot between the lines. And today he is pleased to see that people are interested in his ladles. They don’t have to buy them, it’s enough for him if they engage in a conversation.

He mostly uses maple and cherry wood for ladle production, materials that last for the purpose for which the ladle is intended. He also makes ladle spoons, salt cellars, cheese molds, sculptures (of animals and people), and nativity scenes using softer wood such as linden. He can make anything out of wood, depending on the customer’s request (in addition to the mentioned assortment, cradles, spinning wheels, relief paintings). He both buys and makes his tools, and also sharpens them. In the workshop he has in the parental home, he prepares things roughly, finishing them in the shoebox in his apartment, which is completely sufficient for his small-scale production. He is not worried about the future of wood carving, there are enough young enthusiasts, although traditional wood carving products are not subject to mass production. As he says, the only thing the young still need is a bit of patience – but that will come in time.

Milan Stieranka showcases his art at significant Slovak craft and folklore festivals, as well as in secondary and primary schools, promoting folk art production on his own website.

Source: Mikolaj, Tomáš: Masters of the New Millennium [online]. Bratislava: Centre for Folk Art Production, 2020 [accessed 2024-05-29]. Available at: https://uluv.sk/kniznica/digitalna-kniznica/.

In 2017, he was awarded the title of master of folk art production, awarded by the Commission for Assessing the Professional Competence of Folk Art Workers.