Dobrivoje Beljkašić
A Painter with a Vivid Imagination
Exhibition celebrating of the 100 years of the artist’s birth 1923-2023.
Opening: October 26 th at 19 hours
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the artist Dobrivoj Beljkašić, a recognized BiH painter and art pedagogue, the Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina is organizing an exhibition of the works of this author, who had the unusual fate of his life. At the beginning of his painting career his studio was destroyed in a fire in Morića Han in Baščaršija in 1957, and then again in August 1992 in a fire that destroyed Vijećnica (National Library at this time) where he had his studio in which he collected art works for marking 40 years of artistic work. Therefore, it is difficult to reconstruct his pre-war 40-year oeuvre, there is nothing left except works that are in museums. For this occasion we collected works from the Collection of the National Gallery of BiH, the Art Collection of the Museum of Sarajevo, and from private collections of his family and friends of the Beljkašić family .
In his oeuvre, Dobrivoje Beljkašić had a special interest in landscapes, still life, portraits, figures and figural compositions. He was known as the “painter of bridges” who celebrated the beauty and architectural skill of the cultural and historical heritage of Sarajevo and the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bridges had a deep philosophical and metaphorical meaning for him. He was engaged in drawing, watercolor, tempera, oil and combined techniques. During his lifetime, he created a thematically diverse oeuvre, exploring techniques and artistic styles, not following any current trends. Dedicated to his career and vocation as an art pedagogue, he managed to organize 11 solo exhibitions, and participated in a large number of collective exhibitions. In November 1992, at the age of almost 70, he went with his wife to their daughter who was already living in Bristol, England, UK – to exile. After the initial shock and recovery from the war, he continued to work. He discovers and paints the characteristics of English gardens and landscapes, antiques, bridges and the sea, and creates colorful works rich in inner experience of the artist. The artist also explores Anglo-Saxon and Celtic mythology, allowing himself new visual experiences and insights. He also returns in his thoughts to topics that are close to him and that he carries within himself, which in a way inspired him – Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite his very bad eyesight, he painted when he was 92 years old. He was a living proof of the saying that being an artist is not a profession, but a lifelong calling. The author of the texts for the catalog, list of exhibitions, bibliography, selection of works, as well as the author of the fine art installation of the exhibition is Dragana Brkić-Hodak, senior curator. The external collaborator in this exhibition and its initiator is the daughter of Dobrivoj Beljkašić – Dragana Smart.The exhibition and accompanying educational museum activities were financially supported by the British Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Municipality of Centar Sarajevo, and the Bridging Histories -.learn project. make.share.