Artist
- Dejan Mandelc
Born in 1973 in Serbia. Studied graphic design on High Polytechnic school of Belgrade and icon-painting on Academy of Fine Arts and Conservation of Serbian Orthodox Church. His teacher of icon-painting was one of the most significant orthodox artists, father Dr. Stamatis Skliris.
Professional icon-painter for 18 years. He is the author of 4 iconostasis in Orthodox churches in Saranovo, Jelovik, Smederevo and Bela Palanka and many single wall paintings and icons for churches in Serbia. He has been exhibited his work at nine solo and many group exhibitions in Serbia and USA.
The fundamental objective in my work is to create, following the Byzantine tradition. This is supported by the study of the history and the tradition of the Orthodox Church.
I use the Byzantine system but simultaneously I use elements from a lot of modern artistic movements. Thus, I have shaped a personal painting language which is traditional and modern at the same time, believing that it can express the contemporary man with his needs and concerns. My goal is to reach, with God’s help and enlightenment, a painting result that would not be simply original and personal, but functional for the holy life of the Church. Thus, the criteria of my artistic choices are not only originality and modernity. The aim is not to impress the faithful, offering a simple aesthetic enjoyment. The figurative form ceases to be autonomous and is moved to the beholder, creating an aesthetic bond with him. It exists through him. Finally, the figurative form emerges into the present time of the spectator and lives through his own dimensions.