MARIJA NIKOLIC

Biography

Marija Nikolic is an emerging visual artist born in Serbia in 1989. After graduating from art school Tehnoart Beograd, jewelry department, in 2009 she entered the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade, where she obtained a Master’s degree in Painting in 2015.

Upon completing the studies she participated in a number of group exhibitions, had six solo shows and took part in a few art colonies. Her first solo exhibition (2015) "Money and Decay", in the Dušan Starčević Memorial Gallery, dealt with the topic and symbolism of bonds, coinage, and money as a general concept. A few years later (2019), for the first time she exhibited pieces from "The Golden Ratio" series in the Art Space Kvaka 22 in Belgrade. The further development of the series was presented at the exhibition "Horizons" in the Atrijum Gallery of the Belgrade City Library. Her solo show "Back to Black" in the Prodajna galerija Beograd presented a selection of pieces of decolourized basis from the same cycle. Solo shows "00:00" and "Pixelation" were unique opportunities to showcase a selection of watercolor artworks that were a natural extension of the Golden Light series.

Marija has been a member of the Association of Fine Artists of Serbia since 2020. She currently lives and creates in Belgrade, Serbia.

Artist Statement

"I am a visual artist whose current visual expression is deeply rooted in the aesthetic thought of abstract minimalism and postminimalism. I create artworks on paper and canvas by exploring the possibilities of a framed and clear geometric form. My work revolves around the exploration of color harmony, values, shapes, and perfect proportions. The starting point is a minimalistic approach and reexamination of the form of painting in an effort to reach aesthetic harmony. Line as a clash of two surfaces is the base building element and as such is present on the majority of artworks. My works are distinguished by geometrization, simplification, and reduction of everything unnecessary. By focusing on illumination as a visual element and building the painting around it, I’m exploring the descriptive boundaries of a colored surface."

Marija Nikolic

Solo Exhibitions

2021 - Atelier DivArt, Belgrade: Pixelation
2021 - Culture Center Pančevo: 00:00
2020 - Prodajna galerija Beograd: Back to Black
2020 - Gallery Atrijum, Belgrade City Library: Horizons
2019 - Art Space Kvaka 22 in Belgrade: The Golden Ratio
2015 - Memorial Gallery Dušan Starčević in Smederevska Palanka: Money and Decay

Group Exhibitions (selection)

2021 - The Youth Biennial, Barutana, Belgrade, Serbia: Language in Common
2021 - ZContemporary, Hamburg, Germany: Into the Blue
2021 - International watercolor exhibition FabrianoInAcquerello, Fabriano, Italy
2021 - ZContemporary, Hamburg, Germany: Black X White
2020: Art Pavilion Cvijeta Zuzorić, Belgrade - Spring Show - Where the future begins?
2020: Gallery A, Belgrade: 6th International Watercolor Biennial
2019: KVART Belgrade Waterfront & Gallery Štab, Belgrade:
International watercolor exhibition, Neocolonial Ada Beograd - FabrianoInAcquarello 19/20
2019: National Bank of Serbia in Belgrade, ASA: Art - today
2019: Festival Dev9t in Belgrade: Alchemy
2015: Belgrade Youth Center: 44th FFA exhibit of small format drawing and sculpture
2015: Belgrade Student Culture Center: FESTUM
2011: Gallery Trag in Belgrade: International miniature exhibition
2011: Gallery 73 in Belgrade: Group exhibit of painting, Art colony Ada 11