Happy New Yeah!
… or From the State of Introvert to the State of Extrovert

Happy New Yeah!

My New Year´s date has shifted to the 1st of April; last year was on March the 13th. I don´t believe in Jesus and my birthday is not such an important day, so I pick the date that was most meaningful last year- something that has left mark on the whole year, so new New Year´s date is a conclusion of the previous one. On April 1st around 7 or 8 o´clock in the morning my family landed at Narita Airport in Japan, Fools Day with no joke, but pure happiness.

Tokyo and Japan were the best things that could happen to us as a family. I think that even I got a bit more serious and older, and maybe, just maybe, a little bit wiser. My favorite part about Japan was that I had no fear in my mind or in my heart. The freedom and comfort I felt was indescribable. After 35 years of swimming in the muddy swamp I reached the ocean. It was the ocean that overwhelms you with new experience. And we were diving deep. For 5 months. Watching, observing, tasting, breathing, listening, drinking, something different, something new, something that you study, read about, see on TV, here and now in hi res, burning like special effects in American blockbusters. More real than real. New Matrix. It was no time to do but rather to soak all in, let your brain (tormented and starveling creature, a sponge really, in a dry post-war wasteland of ape society) to nourish.

For 6 months after our return to this god forsaken country we call home, I was processing, and I still do, memories that have been tattooed in my DNA, changing it to something new. It has moved… pigment is my power! … The Magun has thawed. The critical point of everything, Burning Gold! Bubbling and boiling blood, Heat Crimson! A heat that will scorch all creation, Fire Red! I summon you!
Sakura
on Gold!

From the State of Introvert to the State of Extrovert

There is time to receive and there is time to share. Firstly, I did an exhibition of cels, which I received in Japan. All tweens, cels, extremes, mapped to original scenes. Only two, out of 60 and some, unrecognized. 323 anime episodes.
Now, it is time to paint.

Since recently I have recognized certain interest in my new paintings, a repeating pattern of sakura on gold, a new landscape. Now I have a capital theme for the series I call Heaven’s Gonna Burn Your Eyes after Thievery Corporation´s song. It will be a painting of Tokyo, as I experienced it, 12×2,4 m in size, consisted of 115 small and medium- size canvases, painted in a way that Claude Monet painted his garden trying to imagine Japan. Hopefully, it will be finished by March 2018, for I would like to present it when sakura hits the bloom in Sarajevo.

Another longer project that I have in plan is a fairytale that I am planning to write with Captain Yellowish, if he behaves, and to paint it myself. It is a fairytale that will be sold for the benefits of the children in the orphanage center Rainbow, Kulen Vakuf.

As for the shorter projects in this year, they are- short term stay in May at Art Colony for the benefits of the children in the orphanage center Rainbow, producing new painting inspired by Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura; new street art workshop project in June in Torino di Sangro, Italy, with possible exhibition of my prints from BlackBOX print shop & gallery; Nostalgia- exhibition of the photos from Japan, inspired by the latest Makoto Shinkai´s anime 君の名は。(Your Name), curated with my wife, and organized by BlackBOX. That is about it. Luckily, I am open to everything that life brings; there could be something more this year or something less.

And I will continue to write about my experience of Japan for the portal of the Architects’ Association in B&H. More about this you can read in In search for (Tadao) Ando.

For the end, Japanese word that marked my last year and year before is 兄貴 (aniki), older brother. Thing is, I am older brother that never had older brother, but in the last two years I recognized a few individuals who have that role in my life. And when I work or just talk with them positive things emerge. So instead saying that’s all folks, I am going to play you a tune.