I use painting as a medium through which I explore the subject of a hero, followed by history, violence, horror, place and fantasy. In particular, I tell stories about the persecutory nature of history by portraying the hero through a symbolic cyclical narrative that follows one’s rise, fame, and condemnation from a society. Mixing reality and fantasy I explore the history of the Balkans region implicitly dealing with historical conflicts. The places are essential elements in my paintings, be landscapes with monuments, architecture or something in between, because the place and the hero are closely linked. Heroes create and destroy places, places sometimes create heroes, and places sometimes become a hero.

Email: jurepaponja3@gmail.com
Instagram: @jure.paponja

Image

Jure Paponja, Hey me, I’m looking at you! (2022), oil on canvas, 150 x 236cm.