BIOGRAPHY

Katarina Dordevic is a painter, printmaker and full time professor for painting, born in Nis, Serbia, where she currently lives. She graduated and post graduated from the University of Arts in Belgrade (MFA in Painting, 1994) and she is currently undertaking a Fine Arts Doctorate at the same University. Katarina has an academic career spanning more than 18 years at the University of Nis in Serbia and she has been artist-in-residence and guest lecturer in Fine arts at the Fundación Valparaiso in Spain, the 33officinacreativa Foundation in Italy, the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen in UK, the University of Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria and the Akdeniz University in Turkey. Her works has been exhibited in a number of solo and group exhibitions throughout Europe and Asia and her paintings, drawings and printmaking are included into public and private collections. She has received various awards for the artistic achievements in Serbia, Canada and Czech Republic. Katarina’s creative practice takes the form of paintings, drawings, printmaking and objects. Various experience gathered during numerous travelling to many countries and places has been plentiful source of inspiration for her artwork, which pointed out certain similarities between cultures, traditions, people, faiths, as well as differences between them. Nature phenomena, reflection of light, atmosphere of local places and patina with which the archaeological remnants are covered influenced her art, therefore vibrant, rich textures outspread compositions of her paintings. She constructs intimate, private and personal interior from the elements of the world heritage and myth narratives and puts it in the contemporary context, emphasizing its universal symbolic potential.

ARTIST INSIGHTS

How are your background and life experiences connected to your art?

I originate from the artistic family, my grandfather was an engineer of design of wooden and metal furniture, my father is an academic painter, and experienced art lecturer, and my mother was an architect. My younger sister is also painter. Since early childhood I was surrounded by books, objects, art works, and frequent discussions on aesthetics and literature contributed the development of my interest for art. I could not imagine any other profession as my life occupation. I reckon that visual language can convey messages, emotions, conditions to a viewer faster than words, so I have developed my predispositions firstly at the Art College, and secondly by specialization on art studies at the University. Numerous explorations, acquainting with different cultural models, heritages and traditions, as well as the contacts with artists of various art branches influenced me in a sense that I form my accounts and experiences in a shape of art works, organized by thematic cycles.

Who are some of your biggest artistic influences?

Gerhard Richter, Max Ernst, Anselm Kiefer, Antonio Clave, Primitive art, Abstract expressionism.

How have you developed your artist career?

Abstract Expressionism, Primitive art...My artistic training and education started in the Art College in Nis, and continued with undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Arts in Belgrade, Faculty of Fine Arts (Serbia). My vision is that an artist should continually develop himself so, temporarily, I prepare doctoral dissertation at the same University. I review my relation towards my own work and achieved results, based on the audience reactions, by continuous exhibit activities, because an art must be publicly assessable and not closed in art studious. Apart from many solo exhibitions which I had in my country, special challenge were the ones that I had in other countries, since more real perspective and the different view to artist's own art explorations could be achieved. I presented my personal creative experiences at plentiful art workshops, which has been organized in Europe, Asia and Africa. My career has been established by participation in art colonies and symposiums, by won awards for art achievements and by meeting with artists, curators and gallery owners.

What does your artistic work intend to communicate to its audience?

My works should emphasize long-term emotional and mental well-being of the audience, to induce emotional rather than cognitive reaction in an observer and to stimulate intellectually with the thinking process that comes after it,

Does your work comment on any current social or political issues?

My art research is focused on heritage, tradition and natural phenomena, so the themes I am dealing with have no political or social implications.

Do you have a particular story that stands out from your career as an artist?

My stay in Sweden has reached my understanding of natural phenomena; specific light which makes distant objects nearer than they really are, due to different optical conditions that rule on the north of Europe, comparing to Mediterranean. Solstice on the prehistoric site, my stay between the megalithic, round shaped formations of rocks - it was almost transcendent experience, that inspired my work and made me create numerous cycles of objects and paintings.

What is one thing you would like your audience to know about you?

The reaction of the audience on my work is important to me, since by listening of it sometimes I get and reveal the new perspective on unconscious contents in the act of my creation. It stimulates my efforts to develop and grow further.

Which current art world trends are you following?

Nature-inspired art and art inspired by culture and tradition mostly attract my attention.

Why have you chosen to sell your work in the 1515 Lincoln Gallery?

I have chosen to sell my work in the 1515 Lincoln Gallery on the warm recommendations of Dragana Milovic, esteemed artist from Serbia. Getting know Mrs Susan McCalmont, the director of the gallery, assured me that the politics of the gallery is the creation of cultural network of artists, thus overcoming the usual relation between the owner and the artist based on selling process only.

What do you believe makes 1515 Lincoln Gallery distinct from other galleries?

This gallery nurtures various artistic poetics and creative approaches, and its quality is reflected in fact that it has an international dimension and promotes every artist on the world wide scene in professional and mutual beneficial way.

ARTIST STATEMENT

The process of art research and materialization through art media, I view as the writing of my own diary. Every page of this diary– painting, drawing, printmaking, or object is the reflection on life situations, read poetry, light, scents, and sounds of the natural and urban surroundings. The reality of experienced and evoked I demonstrate not only with art materials, but also by introducing of real, natural materials, as the particles of the reality.

KATARINA DORDEVIC’S AVAILABLE ART

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