The award jury described Stegovec's art as "spiritual and profoundly personal", with early career realistic prints eventually interspersed with "expressionism and lyrical meditations".

One of the few female representatives of what is known as the Ljubljana School of Graphic Arts, Stegovec stands out in the use colour, eschewing earthy tones in favour of shiny blues, yellows and reds.

Born in 1927, Stegovec studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana and completed a special course on graphic arts with mentor Božidar Jakac (1899-1989), one of the best known Slovenian impressionists.

She subsequently studied in Paris and Italy and travelled around the world to find inspiration for her art.

Stegovec had her first ever retrospective show at the International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC) in 2012.

In its review of the show, the Delo newspaper wrote that Stegovec had been marginalised throughout her career for failing to conform to political and cultural norms, and for firmly clinging on to faith.

She also stayed away from "art clans" and her passion for Roma culture was viewed with suspicion, the reviewer said.

The Jakopič Prize, conferred since 1969, is awarded jointly by the Association of Fine Arts Societies, the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Moderna galerija, and the Association of Fine Arts Critics.

The award ceremony will be held in Moderna galerija, the country's museum of modern art, on Tuesday.