The Legacy of Olja Ivanjicki

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A few weeks ago I visited an exhibition dedicated to the late Serbian painter, sculptor and poet. Olja (Olga) Ivanjicki (10 May 1931, Pančevo – 24 June 2009, Belgrade) was all that and much more. The daughter of Russian emigrants was born in Pančevo, Vojvodina. Olja studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade, graduated in 1957, and in the same year she was the only woman among the founders of MEDIALA Belgrade, an art group of painters, writers and architects such as Leonid Šejka, Vladimir Veličković, Ljubomir Popović, Miodrag Đurić and some other personalities.

During the sixties, this great woman brought pop-art to Belgrade and was the first who organized large and inspiring events, which are still remembered by many admirers of her work. Olja's paintings and sculptures can be found in many museums and private collections around the world (the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Museum of Santa Barbara Museum of Contemporary Art in Podgorica, the National Museum in Belgrade - Rockefeller, Kissinger, Sophia Loren and Carlo Ponti, L. Eagleburger, John Ditch, HRH Prince Aleksandar II Karađorđević, Margaret Mallory,...)

In 1958 Olja began her journey through art by designing a Building for the future (Gradjevinu sinteze), as a version of her own museum. Later on, in 2007, she established OLJA IVANJICKI FOUNDATION which aims to protect the name and work of IVANJICKI, taking care of her  legacy, and working towards the ultimate goal - the creation of the Museum of Olja Ivanjicki.

At the Historical Museum of Serbia there is an exhibition that presents new series of creative work and personal belongings of this late Serbian artist. Also to point out that question about her legacy has not been resolved.

The exhibition contains the most representative parts of the legacy that after Olja's death were found in her studio. So, those interested can enjoy the paintings, drawings, sculptures and poems;  also, visitors are able to see her collection of glasses, lamps, books, jackets, shoes, sea shells, perfume... In a word, Belgrade has never had the opportunity to see so much of Olja in one place.

 
From the paintings creativity, there are works from her early period when she was inspired by the renowned old painters, then her famous depictions of angels, that represents a symbol of super-nature which gives us the creative force and power of expression. Also, there is a presentation of her pop-art portraits, that are significant for 20th century art; presentations of apocalypse as a result of destructive nature of man, and the image prediction of a trip into space and conquer of new planets.

Fascinated by the universe and the belief that there is something more than fate, Olja with a lot of intuition and a broad Slovenian soul went through life thinking that a creator must overcome their work, be strong for itself in order to get it properly presented to the world because... art is often insufficiently visible to the public and is not able to stand out and show off.

So if you are visiting or passing through Belgrade, be sure to check this great and significant exhibition that will be available until the 1st November at the Historical Museum of Serbia, Belgrade.

 



DZHUS - "Carbon" S/S 2017

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The innovative design of the Ukrainian brand DZHUS never ceases to surprise and amaze me. The concept of the brand is based on the interaction and transformation, as well as functionality. Comprehending metaphysics of the form and its antipode, volumes and silhouettes, voids and surfaces, contours and textures, the designer, Irina DZHUS explores the possibilities of interaction of the surrounding space's constitutive parts, from which her experimental constructions derive.

Collection for Spring / Sumer 2017 is symbolically called "Carbon"; color black that dominates DZHUS' collections. The entire process of mining carbon, the workers' rigid routine, uniforms and stern industrial constructions have inspired the surly, utilitarian leitmotif of the designs. Straight and sharp lines, and delicate shadings, have embodied in contoured edges and sheer textures of the monochrome garments, making atypical but wearable avant-garde pieces. 

"Carbon is ashes, which will remain when we are gone, as a symbol of life’s fragility and the eternal cycle of nature."


DZHUS

OVKLAB - A/W 2017

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Always musically inspired, OVKLAB returns with another striking collection. For the upcoming Autumn / Winter 2017 season, collection entitled "Such A Tragedy Does Not Repeat Itself Before You Die" combines the work of four artists that led the designer to create 90s themed collection; fine artwork by Kwei-Yen Chen, tattoo artist Mutineer Jun, underground stoner metal band Sleaze, and well known photographer Charles Peterson. When you connect all the pieces of the puzzle into a whole you get a modernized perspective of Grunge, Kurt and Nirvana.


Photographer : Huang Jun Tuan
Model : Gao Xiao Gao, Zhan, Josh Yang
Collection Designer : Chuang
Staff Crew : Ming, Jess, Hayden, Jamo, En
Make Up : Angie Huang
Hair Stylist : Kira Master




Litanies Of Skin | vegetal jewellery

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Litanies Of Skin is an independent jewellery brand based in Montpellier, France. Young and talented designer, Maëlle Cadoret creates pieces of a strong character and with a great energy. Each jewel is hand-crafted, made of a stainless steel and a black resin. The macabre touch in the design is created with adding of a semi-precious stones such as black tourmaline, and a carving process that is based on designer's drawings. This technique gives each piece its unique and original style.
Maëlle's work has its own personality that possess a dark beauty, and together with its wearer creates unbreakable bond.