Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Solo Exhibition by Tarik Berber

A solo exhibition by Tarik Berber will open at the Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 23, reports the Patria News Agency.

The exhibition will feature paintings and drawings by the artist who completed his academic education in Florence at the Accademia di Belle Arti. After completing his studies, the young artist, originally from Banja Luka, had several solo exhibitions and participated in group exhibitions upon invitation.

This year he exhibited at the Vetrinjski dvor gallery in Maribor – curator Lejla Festić, and at the Darren Baker Gallery in London – curators Jason Colchin-Carter and Agnieska Perche. Essays for his exhibitions in 2015 were written by Terence Rodrigues and Edward Lucie-Smith, a renowned British art critic.

Edward Lucie-Smith described Tarik Berber's work as a blend of cultural influences that eloquently pays homage to the complex cultural environment from which the artist comes. The blend of cultural influences is reflected in the fact that a strong classical element is present in the artist's work, which, according to Lucie-Smith, more often resembles the art of Pompeii than Renaissance paintings and frescoes.

He also points out the visible influence of the Vienna Secession, which he connects to the fact that the culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina is historically linked to Vienna. Despite the presence of classical elements, Tarik Berber's work also features entirely contemporary themes, such as portraits of Jamaican Rastafarians.