20 Artists for 20 Years

A group exhibition 20 Artists for 20 Years at Takanawa City Center’s Gallery ended successfully on the 26th of July. It was an exhibition that was transferred from one-day exhibition All We Could Have Done (and What We Can Do Now) at Sophia University “United Nations Week June 2016”, held as a part of Symposium: “Facing the Challenge of Living Together: Past, Present and Future of Bosnia & Herzegovina” organised by professor Komatsu Taro (Department of Education at Sophia University), Taida Jasarevic Hefford (on behalf of Academy of Fine Arts Trebinje) and me, with the support of Sophia University staff.

20 Artists for 20 Years, Group Exhibition at Takanawa Civic Center Gallery was done to create opportunity to present works of students of Academy of Fine Arts Trebinje to wider Japanese public. 20 artists for 20 years are as follow:

Jelena Kukić, Jelena Medan, Jelena Milovanović, Jovan Janus, Lojović Milica, Milica Kerezović, Miloš Dostić, Miloš Kajgo, Monika Radovančević, Muhamed Kafedžić Muha, Narina Živanović, Nevena Kosović, Sonja Beloš, Stefan Rakić, Suzana Vulović, Taida Jašarević Hefford, Tijana Draškić, Tina Stanojević, Vladimir Tomić & Zorana Miličević.

Thanks to the efforts of the Counsellor of Bosnia and Herzegovina Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, Jelena Nešković Pašić, this event was held and organized. I would like to thank her and Sanja Joka, Personal Assistant to Ambassador, on their support to this event. Biggest role in organisation of this event had Minato International Association who provided gallery space and time. And I would like to personally thank to Mr. Yuzuru Kokado, Secretary General/Managing Director of Minato International Association, who has followed through this exhibition till the end.

Another person (along with his friends), whose help was critical, is Morita Taro, a one time Sarajevo resident, who has been working on reestablishing connection between two entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the football, especial on “border line” around Sarajevo. He and his friends Haruna Sugahara, Futohi Shimizu & Taku Umesaki, voluntarily helped in setting up the exhibition, and with many problems that we had in those 3 hours, I don’t think that I could manage them alone, nor do I believe that exhibition would have started. I would like to thank them with all my heart for the efforts that they made to make this exhibition happen on time. Now you cannot say that a football player never helped an artist 🙂

The opening was held in the presence of Keiko Hori, Director Minato International  Association (MIA) and the other representatives of MIA, and Mr. Hideo Yamazaki, Head of Akasaka Palace/State Guest House, a former Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the ambassador who was respected and loved by the Bosnians. I even voted for him to be one and the only President of Bosnia and Herzegovina; it was me, and I am guessing,  the members of Hanabi, Anime/Manga Community Sarajevo. Jelena Nešković Pašić together with me and with the support of Sanja Joka, greeted the audience and had an opening speech with thanks to the visitors.

I wasn’t present at the gallery all of the time of the exhibition, because my primary role in Japan was that of a father of two and one lucky husband. Usually someone on behalf of the Embassy was present on site. And as of notable visitors to the exhibition, I know only for a few. I would like to thank Rabab Fatima, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Japan, and Prof. Dr. Aleksandar Lazarević, renowned professor and cardiologist from Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, who is here, in Japan, for his professional development, on taking their time to visit the exhibition. And last but not least, professor Komatsu Taro, whose initial idea made this exhibition possible.

Also I would like to thank my personal friends from Japan who visited the exhibition, and Damir Imamović, whose sevdah music we played together with Jadranka ヤドランカ Stojaković’s compositions. And for the closure I would like to share the photos of a game play of my kids at the gallery.More about Exhibition at Sophia University can be read here.


With Morita Taro, Taku Umesaki, Haruna Sugahara, Futohi Shimizu striking Ultraman pose after we successfully finished setting up the exhibition. Vogue, vogue, vogue…


With Jelena Nešković Pašić,  Keiko Hori and Yuzuru Kokado.


With Mr. Hideo Yamazaki.

minato03

With Jelena Nešković Pašić.

With Sanja Joka.


Prof. Dr. Aleksandar Lazarević


Professor Komatsu Taro

minato07
From the top left: Observing, Contemplating, Meditating and Sleeping like babies 🙂