Description
100th anniversary of the birth of Zuzana Chalupová
Zuzana Chalupová (Kovačica, February 5, 1925 – Belgrade, August 1, 2001) dedicated her entire life to art. She lived and created in her hometown, and found inspiration for her works in her surroundings and everyday life. She only completed five grades of elementary school, but her passion for painting and her inspiration transcended the boundaries of education, making her one of the most significant protagonists of the Kovačica naive art. The leitmotif of Zuzana Chalupová’s work is the children, who made her famous and after whom she was named “Mama Zuzana”. Her compositions, oil paintings and drawings, with genre motifs, biblical themes and themes from everyday life, abound in warm and emotional depictions. Well-known are her paintings of winter, which fascinate with their captivating colours and perfect compositions. Her works today adorn many galleries and museums around the world. She has exhibited, individually and in groups, at numerous exhibitions throughout the country and the world, including in Paris, New York, Rome, Vienna, Bonn, Zurich, Copenhagen, Geneva.
Although she began painting relatively late, she was an extremely prolific artist. Zuzana was a member of the Gallery of Naive Art since 1964. Her works brought fame to this institution, representing her in all meridians. The collection of the Gallery of Naive Art contains 31 of her paintings, which testify to the artistic power and emotional depth of Zuzana Chalupová’s authorial work. Zuzana Chalupová, an artist who wrote stories through colour, touched the hearts of many with her work and left a strong mark on the world of fine art. She died in 2001, leaving behind a rich legacy that will live on forever through her paintings.
Professional cooperation: Kovačica Gallery of Naive Art
Artistic realization: Marija Vlahović, Academic Graphic Artist
100 years since the birth of Janika Balázs
In Lukino Selo near Zrenjanin, the most eminent prim-tambura artist from these areas, the world famous Janika – Jovan Janika Balázs (December 23, 1925 – November 10, 1988), was born 100 years ago. He spent most of his life and work in Novi Sad and Petrovaradin. He inherited a love of music from his ancestors. Janika chose the prim-tambura (bisernica), which he raised to the pedestal of art with his spirit, mastery and style.
He started playing at the age of six, and had his first klapa at the age of ten. He performed in the Tambura Orchestra of Radio Titograd, and joined Radio Novi Sad in 1951. In the Great Tambura Orchestra of RTV NS, he achieved complete recognition and became concertmaster.
He would gain worldwide fame with the “Small Tambura Orchestra” (Mali tamburaški sastav) and his role in the film “I Even Met Happy Gipsies” (Skupljači perja), which led to a concert at the famous Olympia in Paris, as well as other performances throughout Europe and the world. In addition to playing, he also wrote arrangements, lyrics, and music. Ratko Šoć dedicated the song “Eight Tambura Players” (Osam tamburaša) to him, after which the orchestra would be named.
Professional cooperation: Museum of the City of Novi Sad, Dušanka Marković, curator – museum advisor
Artistic realization: MA Jakša Vlahović, academic graphic artist
