(No. 7) The Great Super Mario Wave of Čukarica, Belgrade

The Great Super Mario Wave of Čukarica, Belgrade, was done as a segment of my presentation/promotion for upcoming exhibition in 2014 in the Gallery of the Students’ City Cultural Center (Dom Kulture Studentski Grad) New Belgrade.

The surface of the wall of the primary school Đorđe Krstić was covered with Carrara marble mosaic tiles that hasn´t been refurbished for last 40 years. It was impossible to draw curvy line on that surface and while talking with Slobodan, a pupil from the school, we came upon idea that it resembles old arcade games and thus came Super Mario, and the whole wave became like bonus level from the Super Mario world. It was fun to do onsite adaptation of original design to pixelated one. I had three assistants on this project, Ana Rustovski, Ana Popara & Kosta Filipović, who were trying with me to figure out shading and transition effects. I think we did an excellent job.

For more info on the project please read: Students’ City Cultural Center, New Belgrade, 2013

Photos in slide show, where credited, by Marija Konjikušić.

Technique: acrylic studio paint on Carrara marble mosaic tiles

Size: cca. 260 x 362 cm (102.36 x 142.52 inch)

Year: September 2013

Availability: Public/Street Art


The Great Super Mario Wave Illustration

The Great Super Mario Wave of Čukarica (Belgrade) turned out to be one of the favorite Great waves of general public.I have received few request to do the same on other buildings, that I had to decline. Waves from the 100 Great Waves series draw their energy from their surrounding and therefore each one is different.

But on the other hand, I wanted to do much detailed version of this particular wave, so I did digital illustration.


100 Great Waves
Feb 21, 2013

In 2009 we were lucky to have Mr. Adachi from Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints with Mr. Kyoso as a Japanese traditional woodblock print demonstrator to demonstrate and introduce this technique at the Academy of Fine Arts, Sarajevo. After demonstration I had an opportunity to show Mr. Adachi the photos of my works from 100 Views of Ukiyo-e. When he saw The Great Wave off Kanagawa, he asked me, How many copies did you do? I said, I did only one, as I was aiming to give one original painting to multicopy print. He said, No, You should do 100 copies. At first, the idea of doing 100 paintings of the Great Wave sounded impossible and ridiculous, but in time I realized, I don’t have to do it on canvas, I can do it on walls, it´s nothing new and it´s not the first time someone did it, and yet it becomes a public good unlike painting on canvas that is always private. So I´ve decided whenever I have a chance, to do the Great Wave on walls on each city that invites me to do it.


2018 – Update for the concept 100 Great Waves

As of 2018 I am no longer considering this project to be street art or public only, as this limits my experimental aspect of this series. Therefore my future works will include commissioned art works and indoor murals with private, semi-private and public access.