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Naïve artists from Kova-
čica, a small town in northern
Serbia, have done a lot to en-
hance the reputation of Serbia
around the world. Zuzana Cha-
lupová gained global repute
in 1974, ranking her alongside
names such as Henri Matisse,
Chagall, Picasso, Raoul Duffy,
Salvador Dali, Paul Klee, Joan
Miro and many others, with
whom she donated her pictures
to UNICEF to decorate its sea-
son’s greetings cards. Many mil-
lions of printed greetings cards
displaying her paintings have
conveyed messages of joy and
hope around the world for forty
years.
Chalupová worked with
many international organiza-
tions until the end of her days,
relentlessly sowing seeds of joy
by painting vivid, bright colours,
mostly depicting completely
carefree children. The artistic
universe of Zuzana Chalupová
is a fantastical children’s world
inhabited exclusively by children
filled with optimism and happi-
ness.
Kovačica differs from similar
settlements in many ways. This
small town of just six thousand
residents is home to several
dozen renowned naïve artists.
The straight, flat streets of
Kovačica are dominated visibly
by houses painted in blue tones.
Blue is, in fact, the Slovak nation-
al colour, and Slovaks account
for 82 per cent of the population
of this multicultural community,
where four languages, scripts,
religions, cultures and customs
intermingle.
Blue is also the colour of the
Gallery of Naïve Art, the oldest
in the Balkans, an autonomous
institution of national signifi-
cance that is managed success-
fully by Marija Raspir.
- Nobody has yet explained
why Slovaks, precisely in
Kovačica, and in the neighbour-
ing settlement of Padina, express
their art through this kind of
painting – says Ms. Raspir. –
They pass on their tradition and
heritage through pictures and
everyday household items.
The Gallery of Naïve Art
exhibits a huge picture by Jan
Glozik that was painted in 2002,
on the occasion of the 200
th
anniversary of the Slovak migra-
tion from the north, from pres-
ent-day Slovakia, to Kovačica.
Glozik’s painting is an ode to
village life and all the trades
mastered by these people during
the last two centuries.
However, women have a
special place among the naïve
artists of Kovačica.
Zuzana Vereski often selects
comical scenes from everyday
life and her irresistible images
contain a certain degree of
humour, but also excitement,
joy and ecstasy. Here images
with themes from nature are
reminiscent of a large flower
garden where everything teems
endlessly with life.
Slike Zuzane Vereski podsećaju na veliki cvetni vrt
e
Zuzana Vereski’s pictures are reminiscent of a large flower garden
U Kovačici dominiraju kuće
ofarbane u plave tonove
e
Kovačica is dominated by
houses painted in blue tones
Zuzana Vereski,
„Tri mlade na biciklu“
e
Zuzana Vereski,
“Three brides on a bicycle”
