Dejan Dukic »I still believe in Paradise«

I still believe in Paradise, 2022

The series of small-format works emerged from a self-initiated residency on Koh Pha-ngan in the Gulf of Thailand, where Dejan Dukic experimented with new oil paints and colours. While Dukic works intuitively, following an inner desire, his latest works cannot help betraying the unique and natural energy that he found on Koh Pha-ngan: as if bleached by the sun, the works feature tender shades of colors that remind of coral shining through oscillating crystal clear water, of speckles of light breaking through the lush canopy of leafs, or of the extensive beaches of rose quartz that are characteristic of the island.

Dukic's idiosyncratic technique of massaging oil paint from the reverse of the canvas to the front side produces paintings of a magnetic aura that send the viewer's mind traveling to an exuberant eco-system of form, colour and tactile experiences. The series of works is a part of Dejan Dukic's present interest in employing more shades of white in his works, creating overall brighter and softer impressions.

Dejan Dukic

Dejan Dukic (*1975 in Vienna) paints exclusively with color and canvas, not figuratively, but in the truest sense of the word abstract. Dukic’s process is extraordinary in that he massages the color through the woven or perforated structure of canvas or other support materials.

The artist seeks to establish a direct contact with the oil paint, as he gets rid of familiar painterly devices such as color palette, easel and brush. Often, as the colors are gradually pressed through the fabric, the paintings themselves become the color palette.

Dejan Dukic graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, where he studied under Daniel Richter.

Read our story with Dejan Dukic in his studio.