Inside - Solo exhibition of Natalija Miladinovic abstract painter

In her work so far, Natalija has expressed her creativity through various media, from mosaics and sculpture, through murals and paintings, to photography. Even tho her expression shows in a different form through each media, it is all connected by one abstract note, a moment of abstraction that leaves an invisible part in which it communicates with the observer to the greatest extent. It is that part that highlights its conceptual specificity. "Inside" is an exhibition of paintings and miniatures, and on this occasion, we will look at Natalija's attitude towards canvas or paper. In this sphere of expression, she acts very expressively, almost gesturally in the process of applying paint, which is the basic matter at disposal in transferring the concept to the medium. What we see, which appears as a finished painting or miniature, is the final part of her artistic process.


What is it that we can conclude when we look at an aesthetically shaped idea as a whole? What aesthetic norm could define Natalija's paintings? What defines the notion of abstract realism are color and gesture, created in concern of the unprocessed emotional note. The almost century-old time frame from the appearance of this way of expression, different approaches have developed from Polok, through de Kooning, Newman, Rothko, and to this day this modernist direction has numerous examples that differ in the specifics of the individual. In Natalija's case, it is inseparable from the intensity of colorfully shaped emotional outbursts, the expressive sensibility of experiencing reality. While in the work so far, the balance of the process has been noticeable in a balanced expression, in the works from this series, restlessness, conflict within the being, struggle with reality, and striving for peace are visible. Perhaps we could compare this process with the moment when we dive from the surface of the water into the interior of its depth.


The very name of the exhibition is about introduction to something new, something that is yet to be developed and created. Knowing Natalija's artistic path so far, it is not difficult to notice that her expression is changing. The indefinite gestural movement turns into a move that concentrates the energy that was previously scattered on the surface and leans towards the form. In the domain of the unconscious, one can recognize the opening of a new process of reflection, a process that precedes expression, something like an introduction. Here we could stop and determine the specificity of her artistic personality in this field of the creative process. The isolation in the sphere of intense living and reflection, she abruptly brings to the surface. Materializing the internal feelings on the surface of the painting in this cycle of paintings and miniatures, she is increasingly experimenting with techniques and materials which are painted in red. Although other shades appear in some parts, those are only there concerning red, intensifying it or opposing it.


Biljana Jotic

Curator, art historian


Natalija Miladinovic izložba Inside Studio B emisija Beograde dobar dan Adriana Čortan


Natalija Miladinović izložba Inside RTS Jutarnji Program Slađana Simić Jakuš 


@natalija_miladinovic