Bisenija 2022

Curator: Dragan Ilić Di Vogo’s painting, “Bisenija,” completed in 2022, presents us with a striking oil portrait imbued with surrealist and fantasy elements. Editor: It strikes me as strangely melancholic. The young woman's gaze is direct, yet there's a palpable sadness despite the fantastical ornamentation that seems to explode around her. Curator: Indeed. The seemingly disparate elements—the realistic portraiture juxtaposed with the almost whimsical objects surrounding her—create a compelling visual language. The flowers adorning her hair, for example, can symbolize innocence or beauty, yet they're entangled with these abstract, almost industrial forms. Do you see any relationship in your work with cultural narratives? Editor: Absolutely. I interpret these contrasting elements as a commentary on the burdens and complexities of contemporary girlhood. The flowers represent societal expectations of purity and beauty, while the mechanical or surreal elements speak to the pressures of technological advancement and perhaps even the loss of innocence in an increasingly complex world. It also seems to carry the symbolic burden of generations of imposed cultural meanings on the female body. Curator: That resonates deeply. We often see the layering of symbolic weight within portraiture. The details adorning "Bisenija," might offer us psychological insight into the complexities of her world. The objects that appear on and around her shoulder also hint at the unconscious pressures bearing down on young women and their own personal transformation into adults. I find this aspect deeply personal to this representation of growth. Editor: I agree. And I wonder if the globe in the lower right corner suggests the weight of global issues that young people now grapple with, issues such as climate change and social justice. Perhaps, then, this portrait, under all its layers of colors and imagery, asks us to empathize with the young woman, to see her not just as an individual, but also as a representative of a generation facing unprecedented challenges. Curator: It does expand into wider global commentary. A delicate balance, but certainly potent. I’m now viewing this portrait in a fresh light. It now becomes an important representation in this specific moment in time for humanity. Editor: Ultimately, this piece shows how the seemingly personal is, in fact, inextricably linked to the political and the collective. A testament to art’s power in a space where identity meets social and political challenges, beautifully portrayed.