June 2014
Savo Pavlović, Montenegro
Aquarelle Painting From Classic To Modern is the title of an exhibition of the Montenegrin artist Savo Pavlović opened at June 10 2014 at the international Art Studio. Fans and admirers of fine arts had the opportunity to see 27 aquarelles created by this author in the period from 2007 to 2013. Savo grew up in the karst of the Montenegrin coast, studied high school in Sarajevo, Belgrade, Rijeka, he continue improving his knowledge in Rome, Athens and Paris. In his works Savo Pavlovic skillfully blend his gift received from heaven and gods and what he learned from his teachers. But above all he remained faithful to his origins and his sea.
Characterized by Mediterranean widths and colors this Montenegrin painter passionately reveals many undisclosed secrets of our natural space in his aquarelles tossing in front of us a shell, a stone, a wonderful and mysterious sea creature caught in a fishing net, a magical beach… luring us not to restrain only to our first impression or the first layer of beauty but to find in our souls the path to the essence, to very bottom…
Savo Pavlovic was born in 1947 in Bar, Montenegro. He was educated in Sarajevo, Belgrade and Rijeka. He continued his studies in Rome, Athens and Paris. He is a member of the Association of Fine Artists of Montenegro. Savo had a number of solo shows and participated in numerous group exhibitions. He has received numerous awards. He is also engaged in pedagogical work.
October 2013
Serbia in the Eyes of Russian Artists
October 2013. in the International Art Studio Radovan Trnavac Mica will open an exhibition of paintings entitled „Serbia in the Eyes of Russian Painters“ . Valjevo and Serbian art-goers will thus be given an opportunity to enjoy the art endeavours of 27 renowned Russian artists, whose works at this exhibition has been inspired by Serbia. Anjikejev Boris, Baženova Natalija, Bogdanova Ana, Gorbačov Sergej, Domotirko Dmitrij, Kaplun Igor, Kirikova Marija, Kovaljevski Andrej, Kulagina Jelena, Maksimjuk Ivan, Matvjeva Olga, Morozov Valerij, Ovčukov Suvorov Andrej, Pavlov Vladimir, Pligina Natalija, Popov Jurij, Popova Marina, Potapova Ana, Prudovskaja Svetlana, Remiga Ana, Senkevič Nikolaj, Starnov Oleg, Stepaškin Viktor, Suharkova Darja, Teneta Viktorija, Fjodorov Oleg, Šapkina Nina.
Thanks to Branka and Milos Mandic, whose enormous effort and boundless love for art helped to host and organize artists from the brotherly land of Russia, as well as the assistance of the renowned Russian artist Natalia Bazhenova, we are proud to announce the collaboration between the organizers and Russian artists.
Each artist has painted two pictures inspired by the land of Serbia during their stay. The paintings on show at the International Art Studio will be exhibited for the first time in our country.
This is yet another proof that through the media of art and culture people of good hope around the planet get the chance to meet each other and establish strong, indestructible connections.
August 2013
Tešnjar nights 2013
The beginning of the 21st century all across our planet is marked by visions of the new way of life in the future. The main underlying causes for such a change are the increasing use of natural energy sources, such as the sunlight, air and water, as well as the latest technological advances with no parallel in today’s world, computer being the most significant of all.
Whenever our planet has faced the difficulties that we as the race are facing today, it was also battling economic crises which consequently caused new wars and diseases.
The world today is more or less suffering from the same crises, and for them to be resolved more easily, it is necessary to establish a communication with all the members of the human race via the universally comprehensible language of art and sports.
The town of Valjevo, standing at the very heart of Serbia, has maintained a 27-year-long tradition of organizing an international art festival, which has always been wholeheartedly supported by the International Art Studio.
All of us working at the International Art Studio strongly believe that in addition to its national significance Tesnjarske Večeri also has an international value. This is why as part of this year’s festival, the International Art Studio Radovan Trnavac Mića has organized an exhibition of renowned international artists: Armando Marino (Cuba), Alexander Zhernokluev (Russia), Anatoly G. (the Ukraine), Nikolaus Hip (Germany), Setena Ozbek (Turkey), Steven Carner (the USA), Geoffrey Parr (England), Edgar Can Lopez (Mexico), Victor Tichonov (Russia), Chrisztof Vachovliak (Poland), Son Cha Yong (South Korea) and Eva Mela (Greece).
As part of the 27th annual manifestation Tešnjarske večeri, on Friday the 9th August at 18.30, the International Art Studio Radovan Trnavac Mića presented an exhibition of artwork from Cuba, Russia, the Ukraine, Germany, Turkey, the USA, England, Mexico, Belarus, Poland, South Korea and Greece.
On this occasion, the visitors were rewarded with an exquisite performance of the music trio Amoroso, consisted of Nevena Nikolić on the flute, Aleksandra Milivojević on the violin and Milica Prodanović on the piano, all music teachers from Valjevo’s Music School Živorad Grbić.
May 2013
Contemporary Macedonian artists
Night of Museums 2013
For the seventh year in the row International Art Studio “Radovan Trnavac Mica” took part in the national event “Night of Museums”. Audience had opportunity to see a premier of a group exhibition “Contemporary Macedonian artists.” The show presents 17 works of true masters of painting and sculpting, who belong to different generations of Macedonian artists. Among them are academics Lazar Licenoski, Vangel Kodzoman, Nikola Martinovski, and Tome Serafimovski, then no less prominent painters Patar Mazev, Trajce Jancevski, Stojan Pacov, Aleksandar Risteski, Gligor Cemerski, Ilija Kostov, Vladimir Georgievski, Djoko Matevski, Nichola-Koco Fidanovski, Rubens Korubin, Evgenija Demnievska, Stefan Hadzi-Nikolov and Vesna Bajalska.
The music program was specially arranged for this evening of “Museum Night”. Visitors were able to see and hear wonderful performance of local Music School String Orchestra, under the direction of Professor Aleksandra Milivojevic, consisting of Mitar Jovanovic, Emilia Vujic, Katarina Petrovic, Djordje Jankovic – first violin, Aleksandar Simic, Emilija Mirkovic, Ljubica Tadic and Kristina Rajkovic – second violin; Nevena Lukic and Milica Markovic – viola and Katarina Markovic – cello. They performed the song “Moon River”. Aaudience was also introduced to a local Music School Chamber Ensemble, consisting of Pavle Čanić, Ivana Stojanovic, Isidora Novakovic and Professor Alexander Milivojevic. They performed Schubert’s “Quartet No. 1.” Official part of the evening ended by a performance of Lazar Pusic, student of the local Secondary Music School, Department of Accordion, in the class of Professor Vladimir Obradovic. He played the “Flora’s Waltz”.
August 2012
African art in Valjevo
After Europe, North and South America, throughout Asia and Australia, International Art Studio presents art of the African continent so our desire to exhibit artists from all continents in the Gallery of the Studio has been fulfilled.
The exhibition titled “African Art in Valjevo” was inaugurated on August 4, 2012 and within it works of five contemporary painters from South Africa are presented as well as a collection of traditional African items and objects.
The exhibition presents large and medium format paintings from traditional to postmodern art, which boasts a distinctive visual expression. The following South African artists are represented in the exhibition: Andrew Dandeni Nhlangwini, Mandla Godfrey Majadibodu, Mbongeni Buthelezi, Vusi Mfupi and Yda Walt who live and create mostly in Johannesburg.
Following month the audience will enjoy seeing different art techniques these five artist practice such as: paper collage, fabric design, works created from recycled plastic as well as oil on canvas. Each artist has his recognizable handwriting and the audience as well as experts are often surprised when they see some works of the artists who are not familiar to them.
Academic painters Andrew Dandeni Nhlangwini and Mandla Godfrey Majadibodu are a part of the Studio’s Artists in Residence Program and they are our guests for a month. They use oil as a traditional painting technique. Andrew paints mass scenes from recent history with much success and he also painted a great number of murals connected with the World March for Peace and Nonviolence. Godfrey also deals in graphic design, litography and he is a member of several international art organizations.
Mbongeni Buthelezi’s artworks are a unique and improvised new medium of expression. He collects discarded plastic bags mostly from soft drinks and he recycles them into amazing works of art. As a contemporary artist researching on new media, Mbongeni is now able to manufacture his own plastics that come in secondary and tertiary colors in order to entice his palate. His work has been perceived as one of the most successful examples of how individuals can liberate themselves from economic and socio-political conditions.
Vusi Mfupi is an outstanding “capturer“ of the fast moving urban scenes without using a camera but rather capturing images with his mind. Mfupi then re-interprets these scenes into a dream -like but colorful and vibrant collage. Mfupi treats tiny pieces of paper as pixels; meticulously gluing them piece by piece as if he is telling a story of his urban scenes pixel by pixel. When you are finally engulfed by these tiny pieces of paper, the puzzle starts to resemble three dimensional pictures.
Yda Walt is an artist and designer who interprets the world around her with her lively and colorful prints. Her images find their way onto all her products in a playful and spontaneous way. Everything is done by hand. Her process involves drawing and producing linocut prints of her work, which are then photographically exposed onto silk screens. The silkscreen prints are hand stitched onto fabric. Collection of original African art objects contributed to overall impression of the exhibition “African Art in Valjevo”. It is a collection of fabulous magical and useful items of African people made mostly of wood, clay, bronze and fabric.
“On behalf of the people of South Africa and the Ministry of Culture want to thank you for the hospitality provided and we already enjoy our stay in Serbia. In our country there are more than 20 thousand citizens of Serbia and we hope it will be more links, and that we will deepen the relations between our countries. This is because we share a similar history and destiny of our people and we hope that in the future even more Serbs will live in South Africa.
Tonight, here we present the achievements of artists from Africa, a culture opens the doors that create many opportunities”, said Mr. Ernest Ndlovu Zwelibanzi from the South Africa Department of Arts & Culture.
The exhibition was officially opened by Mr. Dragoljub Krstic, Deputy Mayor of Valjevo. He welcomed South African officials on behalf of City of Valjevo stressing in his speech that he hoped, in time to come, the cooperation between the two countries will intensify in many aspects.
In the musical part of the program, visitors enjoyed the performance of Ivan Timotić, young graduate from the Music Academy in Sarajevo, Department of accordion under the supervision of Professor Rade Radović. Ivan has played at the opening act “DTK”, second volume in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach and “Divertimento”, second paragraph by Kusiak.
July 2012
Six artists from Australia
“The modern interpretation of the landscape, figure, abstraction, light and space” is the title of the last exhibition of the cycle “Australia in Valjevo”. This group show was inaugurated on July 7, 2012. Oil paintings, works on wooden panels, mixed media on paper, installations, objects and a video projection were presented by academic artists from Sydney and Melbourne: Anne Kwasner, Elyss McCleary, Carmen Reid, Mignon Steel, Natalie McCarthy and Tania Smith.
The exhibition is designed to demonstrate the diverse approach artists use to explore ideas, evident in the broad array of styles this show has to offer.
Themes include contemporary interpretations of landscape and the figure to more abstract representations of structure, space and light. The work is underpinned with a strong practice of mark making and a common aesthetic for the appreciation of beauty. The intimate quality of the work prevails from the ability of the artist to engage the imagination in response to a world that is in a state of constant flux and chaos. Each of these artists consciously partaking in the positive act of making art as a statement to the belief that true power comes from within. Armed with one’s chosen art medium, the power of the visual is employed to communicate the human experience.
These six ladies from Australia have shown to successfully deal with post-modern artistic creativity, and conceptualism, which is an attempt to create new art. The combination of traditional and conceptual, in this exhibition is very much visible.
Combining her beautifully crafted paper-mache objects and drawing in her installation Lost Souls, Anne Kwasner explores the notion of dislocation, memory and the melancholy of displacement. A collection of miss-matched objects lies inside a wire suitcase or discarded nearby to suggest a narrative of travel, childhood innocence and loss. The tenderly drawn images and details that decorate them, beckon one to reconstruct the journey that may have brought them there.
Elyss McCleary’s mixed media paintings cross over to the region of drawing to explore similar themes of time and memory. The Etched Pinks and Violent Word have been constructed from layers of art-making history combined with intuitively structured compositions and words. For the collage works she considers “de-collage” McCleary amalgamates pieces of found paper with colour and line. Here she manages to make carefully constructed images look seemingly spontaneous and accidental, reminiscent of something one might come across on a building wall or street path. Although abstract in representation their tactile appeal connects deep into the unconscious to draw a sense of something familiar and tangible.
Similarly Carmen Reid’s installations and drawings explore tensions between physical states and mental concepts, with an underlining narrative. Drawing on architecture and imagined places, the forms represented in this work have been created to form a dialogue between the Australian and Serbian landscape. Taking inspiration from the monuments of former Yugoslavia and colonial ruins of the Australian she has created miniature renditions in her Sentinels. For the drawings the forms have been placed in the context of their environment, monumental in their origins, they echo the ever-changing eroding mountains that surround them. With the inevitability of passing time and changing values the forms are a slow state of transition and slowly returning to the earth.
Using the medium of paint Mignon Steele essentially takes inspiration from nature. Steele boldly structures paint in an intuitive, poetic manner to contemplate ideas drawn from nature, science and her environment. Her response and thoughts are translated into the building of surface, mark making and colour. The viewer is invited to be part of this journey with the layers of translucent paint she chooses to reveal and the marks, shapes and symbols she includes. For Night Paddock a luminous sky and imagery suggests dreams of romance and a country lifestyle.
Taking a very different approach Natalie McCarthy’s landscapes focus on describing the transition of light and space to evoke a spiritual connection with nature and sense of place. Inspired by recent move to the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Natalie’s works depicts varying elements of vast mountain wilderness and skies. Painted as she remembered it, standing with the scene before one, the observer’s eye is lead through to experience the beauty and strangeness offered by the view. Translucent layers of paint describe how the light transforms the landscape with the shift of time.
Tania Smith uses video media and performance to describe images of lightness, absurdity and humor as a response to rigidity, boundaries and tension. Filmed on the Victorian coastline, the work Untitled#5 features a lone female figure stealing a moment of pleasure seen on a loop projection. In luscious pink drapery she twirls in a private ritual seemingly at odds from the public environment in which she is placed. Smith plays on the paradox between the visual appeal of the pink fabric and twirling spectacle and the anxiety endured by the figures repetition and isolation.
At the opening ceremony, two guests-artists Elyss McCleary and Natalie McCarthy addressed to the numerous visitors and thanked the Studio’s staff for the excellent organization and conveyed greetings of other artists who unfortunately were not able to visit Valjevo and Serbia this time.
As for the musical part, audience enjoyed the concert performed by the students of the local Music High School. Clarinetist Dejan Antonijevic and flutist Zorana Belušević have played a “Capricho” for flute and clarinet by composer Ante Grgin.
May 2012
Belorusian artists
The exhibition “Belarusian painters” opened on May 31, 2012. The five Belarusian artists featured at this exhibition: Victoria Ilina (Вікторыя Ільіна), Victor Shilko, (Віктар Шылко), Anna Tikhonova (Ганна Ціханава), Vladimir Kozhuch (Уладімір Кожух) and Victor Tikhonov (Віктар Ціханаў), are genuine representatives of the versatile contemporary Belarusian art scene. Their works clearly articulate ideas of both modern and postmodern tendencies, thus taking active part in the contemporary world art trends. They do so by dying the European experience influences of original national motifs.
The exhibition was officially opened by His Excellence Mr. Vladimir Chushev, Ambassador of Belarus in Serbia, saying among other things the following: “I am convinced that today’s event will become another step in the development of Belarusian and Serbian relationship and allow you to keep in touch with Belarus culture that to some extent reflects the spirit and mentality of our ancient Slavic people. In Belarus, we always with respect and warmth relate to the Serbian people, known for their courage and diligence, a very ancient history and rich cultural tradition. Spiritual and cultural ties between our nations that have historically formed our Orthodox unity and interpersonal contacts represent a reliable basis for further development of cooperation between Belarus and Serbia.” On this occasion, the Ambassador presented the Diploma which rewards International Art Studio “Radovan Trnavac Mića” for active collaboration and presentation of contemporary Belarusian art.
The tranquility, with which Victoria Ilyina observes life, or more precisely, urban life, is simply mesmerizing, as her paintings’ urban motifs frequently accept different rhythms. Victoria Ilyina notices complexity in simple things and strives to emphasize the exhilaration of, one might say, mundane existence. Her drawing accuracy, impeccable choice of colour schemes and consistent rotation of architectural forms create an environment of truly harmonious spatial rhythms. She gives a masterful and accurate graphic detailing of both houses and trees, but also unsuspecting passers-by.
Vladimir Kozhuch’s art is emerged in emotions. His work of the recent years is predominantly of lyrical orientation. It is consisted of a colourful surface embroidered with extraordinary female characters. Vladimir Kozhuch’s each composition gravitates towards a stronger harmony, while his paintings express the eternal, constantly changeable, gradually vanishing, and yet so utterly appealing gradation of the world’s rhythm.
Anna Tikhonova is the brightest representative of the Belarusian graphic arts school. The mere fact that she has gained highest recognitions in various international competitions is a testimony to the high quality of the Belarusian graphic arts. Her extensive experience in the field of engraving has enabled her to find most adequate solutions in her compositions. The virtuosity of her drawings and accurately guided lineage allows for perfect expressions of various philosophical and ontological themes.
Victor Shilko is the successor of the best traditions of the Russian Avant-garde, started in the 1920s in his home town of Vitebsk. The basis of his conception of the world consists of the principles of the colourful and compositional creation of paintings, as well as the quest for artistic spirituality. Victor Shilko, a true magician, skillfully manipulates coloured dots of different sizes, thus creating an atmosphere of apparition and inviting spectators to stir up their fantasies and join this playful act.
Victor Tikhonov’s paintings will not be new to the Serbian public, as he has already exhibited, not only in Belgrade, but also in Valjevo’s International Art Studio “Radovan Trnavac Mića”. The studio’s gallery featured his solo exhibition in 2009 and showed his film “The Sorrow of Deserted Villages”. The exhibition was a true success and this year Victor Tikhonov is showing his new cycle entitled “Winter Motifs”.
During the opening ceremony visitors had the opportunity to hear chamber music ensemble consisting of students of the local Secondary School of Music: Djordje Jovanović – 1st violin, Elzbieta Čuba – 2nd violin, Tamara Damjanović – viola and Nadja Petrović – cello. This string quartet under supervision of Professor Aleksandra Milivojević, presented “Quartet in D Major” by the composer Charles Stamitz. Two young cellists and sisters Nadia and Nina Petrović, 3rd year students of the local Music High School played “Duo for Cello in G Major” by composer Kumar.
Night of Museums 2012
Fifth year in the row International Art Studio took part in the event “The Night of Museums”. On May 19 visitors were able to see the exhibition of art works from the Studio’s collection, but also to enjoy a concert performed by local Music School chamber ensemble consisting of: Paul Čanić, Nikola Janković, Ivana Stojanović and Isidora Novaković. They played Mozart’s “Quartet in C Major” and Bach’s “Aria”. In the final segment of the event Djordje Teodosić – actor from Valjevo read Rudyard Kipling poem “If You Can”.
August 2011
Artists from Australia
In the traditional summer festival “Tesnjar nights” which is held every year in Valjevo, 9th august 2011 in International art studio was opened the group exhibition of Australian artists entitled “Artists from Australia”.
In that occasion was shown 23 pieces of art of cotemporary Australian artists in a different way of running their own subjective perception of the world around them and their thoughts about country which is common for them and their own individual experiences from Australia as multicultural country as it is today.
George Barchet presented four of his paintings oil and combined large and medium format on linen, by playing with colours from bright to light. Gordon Syron, the most important exponent of urban Aboriginal art by his paintings medium format trying to show us hard life of Aboriginal people from Invasion untile now. Ilza Barchet in her painting large format connects different media and techniques and the richness of materials like beeswax, gold, silver, sand and cement, silk, hand-made paper and pigments play an important role in defining her artistic expression. May Lee Thi is artist from Vietnam and she tries to express her disapproval of the racial divide and because of that she is using four primer skin colours in her oil paintings medium format. Peter Shell with his landscapes wants to show us the green line in Australia by using unique precision and special feeling for aesthetic sense for his surrounding.
The musical program in which visitors had the opportunity to enjoy was credited by violin duo, consisting of Professor of Music School “Živorad Grbic” from Valjevo, Aleksandra Milivojevic and Vida Vukelic, and they performed the “Sonata for two violins”, the first and second paragraph, the works 60 in C minor, by Jan Zdenek Bartos. And after that they played Mozart’s “Sonata for two violins”, first paragraph, opus 70 in C major.
May 2011
Night of Museums 2011
For fifth Night of the museums in Valjevo, in International art studio visitors could enjoy in art workshop hosted by the Australian artist Natalie McCarthy, whose solo exhibition opened a few days earlier.
The program planned for night of 14th May 2011. from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. enables guests of International art studio the opportunity to enjoy in making piece of art which represents colours of sky above Australian desert and sand in ocher colour which provides to us impression of dry part of Australia. On that occasion, visitors could hear music of Aboriginal people and could see collection of photographs by Natali which she recorded while she was staying in a desert.
During the evening over hundred of our citizens were able to enjoy in the program which was performed on this occasion.
Natalie McCarthy, Australia
The exhibition of young Australian artist Natali McCarthy, entitled “Australian landscapes” was opened 10. May 2011. in International art studio “Radovan Trnavac Mica” and on that occasion was shown 25 oil and aquarelle paintings of small and medium format on board and linen.
Natali McCarthy was born 1974. in Sidney where she finished National art school in 1994. painting department and since then she has had many solo and group exhibitions. Her first solo exhibition was in 2007. when she for very first time presented desert landscape of Australia. Today she lives and works in Sidney as a painter and as a moderator in the art studio with people with disabilities. She won many awards but as she said her favourite is award Art on The Rocks-Public Painting and Exhibition.
In her paintings dominate ocher colour which represents Australian desert but also important part in paintings takes colours of changing lights on the sky above desert. Those landscapes and those colours are unique for that part of the world and help us to experience that through her works.
During the opening, falutist Ljubica Milutinovic and guitarist Jelena Lukic, students of Musical school preformed in duet “Pavana” by Fore and after that student of second year of Musical high school flautist Zorana Matic played “Kaprico” by Cargin. At the end, as solist Jelena Lukic played on guitar “Day on seaside” by Taregin.