Be careful what you wish for (the fire is in the underbelly)

It’s really hard for me to explain in words what this exhibition is about since I’m not very good at explaining my works. I’ll give it a go anyway. Ideas and processes that I explore in my paintings always morph into something else as they are being transferred onto the surface of the canvas. Usually I start with a thought, an image or a photograph or whatever triggers my attention. I pick them apart and then I appropriate only the details that interest me, which I then extract and put in a new context. The initial image is then discarded and the painting takes its own course. I don’t ask myself any questions anymore, I just do. I know, I know it’s a lot of nonsense to you, dear reader, but for me it is crucial, so bear with me for a moment. The paintings that have been selected for this particular exhibition are from different “periods” (although I hate that word it’s the only one that comes to mind). They all share a similar atmosphere even though they are years apart. The figures are anonymous and scarse, the colors are muddy and cold and there is a sense of dread in the air. My desire is for the viewer to connect the paintings with a kind of fictional narrative and to connect the dots between them. Enough with the chit-chat, enjoy the show.

Photo: N. Ivanović