

Ivana Zivanovic
Naive artist
Biography
Born as a baby. My parents told me that I was baptized as a baby, but I don't remember that, because I was a baby. In Serbia, when you do crazy things, people use to ask you - Are you baptized?! Like you can not be both crazy and baptized.
Anyway, I grow up on the mountain Mackov Kamen with my grandmother. Since my parents ardently desire a son, and I was 3rd daughter, they gave me to her. As a child I never missed them, not even later, not even now. I felt rejected, and I had problems in my life because of that, but nothing that one good psychotherapist can't solve. You see, my mama and tata are very ''simple'' people. During my childhood, they would come few times a year to see as. I hated every time they come since they knew only to criticize. For example, I always liked to paint and to be with animals. They would be telling me that I am strange and probably crazy, drawing nonsenses instead of working on something useful. How could God punish them so hard, 3rd female and also not normal? When I was 12 they took me back. Later I realized it was only because they needed somebody to work free for them, and in Serbia is well known that the cheapest working force are children. That was probably the worst time of my life, from 12 to 19 I lived with them. My only escape was painting, learning, being close to nature, and of course school. When I graduated, my tata told me that I am probably not his child, since I'm the only one in the family who was good at school, he couldn't even finish primary school.
Finally, when I was 19 yo, I removed to Belgrade for university and to save myself. Since Covid19 started, I started going more often to the mountains and nature generally. But still not so so often as I wish, since I need internet for work, and no 5G in Serbian woods. Anyway... Every time when I'm in the woods, I have a desire to paint. Big cities are funny when you are young, but as we are getting older, our souls get older as well. As older we are, we know better what we want, what we like, what makes us happy. Painting is something that makes me happy, also it is calming, and my imagination is huge. I am not an artist, since I am self-learner, never went to any kind of art school, I just paint how I think it should be. To be honest, I know that my work is not splendid, technic is not my best skill. Sometimes it is very hard for me to paint what I imagined because of all that...
After reading this, you probably think - W*F??! Well, life is one big W*F. I just wanted to crash your everyday routine and show you that all about my ''art'' is about details and symbols. Thanks for reading and sorry for my bad English. Živeli!