Dunja Sirmium, Mosaic Artist with an Exceptional Painting Technique

This young artist was born in Sremska Mitrovica and currently lives and works in Belgrade. She completed her bachelor's and master's degrees at the Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade, specializing in mural painting. Among the highlights of her biography are her full membership in ULUPUDS and her work on the conservation and restoration of Roman mosaics from the Imperial Palace in Sremska Mitrovica.

Metasomnia 711x150 cm, oil paint on canvas, 2017.

Although she will focus on mosaics at this year's art colony in Vranje and give a lecture and short workshop on the subject, we hope that Dunja, an extremely hardworking and productive artist, will also find time for drawing and painting, which she actively pursues. In 2018, she presented her work through drawings and paintings in solo exhibitions titled Metasomnia, Infinity, Transformation of the Soul into Infinity. At her fourth solo exhibition, scheduled for September 2018, she will also exhibit her mosaics on their own for the first time.

How Does She Do It?

Creating clearly fulfills you. Which stage of the process do you enjoy most?

Anticipating what the finished work will look like is the most important moment in my creative process. I don't create my work based on preliminary designs and sketches. My work grows from an initial idea, and it's precisely the uncertainty about the final look of a painting, drawing, mosaic... that drives me to create. I let the work itself guide me right up to the final stroke, so I enjoy creating from the beginning to the end of the process.

Metachaos 150x150 cm, 2017.

Artists often dislike clichéd questions about inspiration. What truly drives your work?

Life is an inexhaustible source that inspires, offers, and provides so many endless possibilities. I'm afraid I won't have time to bring most of my ideas and thoughts to life because time passes so quickly.

Who Do You Create For? Who Makes Up Your Audience?

I enjoy creating, and I admit that I work primarily for my own personal satisfaction and pleasure. I have dedicated my life to art, and now I won't turn away from it. Of course, I create for the people close to me who support me, and for those who appreciate my effort and work. Support is important and further motivates me to create new work for an audience that believes in art.

East 10x10 cm 2016.

What do you think, can a lack of quality, suitable materials (something artists often face) hold an artist back? Or is it just an excuse from those who don't want to try or don't try hard enough?

Being an artist is difficult. If an artist's desire to create is strong enough, they will always find a way to bring their vision to life. The desire to create will drive an artist so much that excuses like that don't exist.

Nerve-Wracking 100x57 cm, 2016.	Line of Infinity 35x35 cm, 2018.	Infinity 100x57 cm 2016.

http://www.dunjasirmium.com/