Born in Belgrade, Serbia. Moved to North America in 1988. Since 2009 in New York City.
EDUCATION SUMMARY
The Chelsea Classical Studio, School of Fine Art , New York City, USA, 2018-2019
worked with Robin Smith, emerging portraiture painter on her approach to figure painting from life
The Art Students League of NY, New York City, USA, 2010 - 2018
worked with renown and well established painters like Mary Beth McKenzie, Max Ginsburg, Gregg Kreutz, Jerry Weiss, Ronnie Landfield, Kikuo Saito, and James Little on different approaches to drawing, painting, color design and composition in portraiture and figure painting from life, and in abstract paintings.
Ottawa School of Art, Ottawa, Canada, 2004-2008
trained in classical drawing and painting
Ph.D. Mathematics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA, 1992
M.S. Statistics, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada (1995)
M.S. Mathematics, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia, 1984
B.S. Mathematics, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia, 1978
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Small Works Exibition, Manhattan Borough Office, New York, 2019
Small Works Exibition, Manhattan Borough Office, New York, 2017
22"x30" exhibition, Manhattan Borough Office, New York, NY 2016
Small Works Exhibition, Manhattan Borough Office, New York, 2015
Annual Spring Art Exhibition, benefit for NYC's homeless, New York, 2015
22"x30" exhibition, Manhattan Borough Office, New York, 2015
AWARDS
Marion R. Netter Scholarship for 2017/2018
MEMBERSHIPS
Member of Art Student League of New York, 2014 - now
My formal education was in mathematics. Throughout my career as a mathematician I used strong rational, analytical and systematical reasoning for solving problems: starting from certain assumptions, with correct reasoning using strict rules I would arrive to my final result, usually a theorem. My special interest was in Infinitesimal Nonstandard Analysis, another approach to mathematics based on the existence of "genuine infinitesimals" and reciprocally "genuine infinitely large numbers". These "abstract" infinite objects in that world were real, genuine, they could be manipulated, added or multiplied. But like so many other concepts in mathematics they existed only under certain axioms, theorems and rules.
In other words, in my mathematical world everything was abstract, non-real, not palpable, everything existed only under certain assumptions. In mathematical reasoning there were strict rules, no place for improvisations, non-rationality and spontaneity.
I loved that world of axioms, theorems and abstract objects. But I also needed something real and palpable, through which I could express my other non-rational, intuitive and spontaneous side. This is what I found in painting and why I love to paint.
All my paintings are about my feelings and excitement invoked by a person, situation, scene, process, color or a moment I paint, not the subject itself. I try to express them with emotional intensity and honestly, hoping to encourage viewers to look beyond the frame, provoking them to contemplate the bigger picture.
I use oil paints without any media, and acrylics only if the effect I want to achieve cannot be obtained with oils. My colors are bright and strong, paint is thick and textured, line expressive. I try to imbue my paintings with the passion and energy I feel while painting.
In my abstract paintings I try to express my spontaneous and non-rational side and allow my intuition to lead me. As a former mathematician I use many mathematical objects and concepts like line, dots, circles, squares, infinity .. but without mathematical rules. I present infinity as continuous movement, stillness or infinite space using color, shape, value, texture and composition. In some of my paintings there are recognizable objects or concepts which are products of spontaneity of line, color or shape.
My figure paintings are based on real persons. I do figures from life, capturing their soul and mood more than their likeness. Even though I have rational and analytical approach when deciding about the composition, my first impression and emotions invoked by the person and the scene lead me throughout the work. While I do people realistically and in details, the background is very simple, without details and rarely realistic. I do figures only in oils without adding any medium in order to achieve raw and natural look, and use bright colors and a lot of texture.
In my figurative paintings, I present objects from life like flowers, landscapes, figures and scene but not in realistic manner. All these objects including figures are done either from memory, photographs, or in quick poses.