Neduzna 2017

Curator: This is "Neduzna," an oil painting created in 2017 by Dragan Ilić Di Vogo. The work blends portraiture with surreal elements, immediately sparking a kind of disquieting wonder. Editor: My immediate reaction is a strange mix of beauty and unease. There's something haunting about her gaze, and the way the paint seems to melt and swirl around her face disrupts the expected smoothness of portraiture. The juxtaposition of realistic facial features against the semi-abstract coloring creates a compelling tension. Curator: Note the artist’s meticulous layering. The juxtaposition of clean edges with fluid applications is striking, notably on her facial features. Also the planes intersect almost geometrically. It's a play on neo-expressionism and realism within a carefully structured form. Editor: The butterflies and floating sphere certainly contribute to a dreamlike atmosphere, almost like symbols plucked straight from the subconscious. Butterflies often represent transformation or the soul, perhaps indicating an inner state of flux. And that sphere, resembling a small planet, hints at larger existential questions of identity or belonging. Curator: Indeed, the artist consciously interjects pictorial space with this very dialogue. The chromatic interplay provides a constant visual echo— observe how certain reds and blues recur in both her ‘hair’ and on the floating sphere, linking internal thoughts with the depicted world. Editor: What's particularly engaging is the way Di Vogo integrates elements of both order and chaos. We are looking into someone’s own creation of themself. There is an honest capturing of youth while being aware of transformation and internal exploration. Curator: Precisely, while its vibrant palette creates visual harmony, its fragmented composition subverts traditional portrait expectations. I leave with the impression of something almost impermanent that transcends form with pictorial language. Editor: Absolutely, it stays with you and prompts introspection, it almost feels like a meditation of fleeting moments captured, each a symbol representing states of change within an emotional space.