It was the evening of June 29th…
All the frames were hung, the catalogs were on display, and the drinks were on the table. The harsh summer sun finally allowed us some breathing room to enjoy the night. All the work and efforts of the last few months of preparation came to life.
In the “mirror” one can see the reflection of fear, which suffocates, inhibits, eats away, and drags into the quicksand of negative thoughts and hopelessness.
On the other side of the same mirror emerges the reflection of a courageous step, a dance with the pulsating fears under our feet, pushing them into the already known, easily overcome furrows, paths, and reliefs.
All these experiences are intertwined and flow nonlinearly. They are an integral part of human existence, making them authentic and imperfectly perfect.
We showcased twenty conceptual, surreal photographic images that I have created over the past two years based on personal struggles and fears. Hoping that one day at least one of these images will help someone else. By displaying them and talking about fears, by facing fears myself, maybe, just maybe, I have achieved that.
The curator of the gallery “Stara Kapetanija”, wonderful Sonja Beljic, gave a spectacular speech introducing everyone to the exhibit. As I stood next to her during that speech, time slowed down and I saw all the beautiful humans who had come to give support.
When it comes to larger groups of people, I am shy and somewhat socially anxious, so at some points, I wished that I could melt into the walls and only be the observer of what was happening.
Thank God for my friends and family who insisted that I talk to people and who didn’t allow me to forget, even for a minute, how special that evening was. Even when I didn’t have the courage to approach visitors and ask them if they liked the exhibition, people came to me. We talked about art, creativity, inspiration, and all the things that fuel an artist’s spirit.
Exhibiting is not only about showcasing your work or selling it but also about making connections and striking inspiring conversations with people.
Some magical things that happened during the evening:
A self-portrait photographer, and dark artist Tea Jagodić, whose works I admire, came to see the exhibit. How awesome is that! I was a little nervous when I emailed her an invite, but I received such a warm and supportive response.
Also one of my Instagram friends, the @blackrabbittea girl, brought some tea bags for us all to enjoy. Maybe next time we’ll have a tea party, who knows!
One thing I wish were different:
I wish my sister had been there with me. She was singing in a choir show that night and could not come. In addition to many self-portraits, there were several photos where she modeled, and I wanted to share the whole experience with her. But next time.
I am infinitely grateful to every single soul who visited the exhibition and for the opportunity that was brought to me by the gallery.
