Dusan Djukaric is a Serbian painter whose muted, atmospheric watercolors poetically capture the moods of his native Belgrade, along with those of Venice, Prague and other European cities.
Djukaric often seeks out subjects involving water, misty conditions and rain-wet streets, which are well suited to his approach to watercolor. He contrasts controlled, sharp edges with areas in which multiple colors are allowed to run freely wet into wet.
He employs a muted palette, at times almost monochromatic, to emphasize mood and atmosphere, accented with higher chroma passages.
I learned about Djukaric through James Gurney, who pointed out this passage from one of Djukaric’s lectures:
The Chinese thought that watercolour is the most valuable and the most difficult artistic technique and they had the utmost respect for it. The most famous Chinese watercolour paper is called CHEN HSIN TENG, which means “a lobby for clearing one’s mind,” and really, I do not know of a more precise definition of this painting technique.
Djukaric’s work will be on display in a solo exhibition at Grey Gallery in Luasanne, Switzerland from 4 June to 4 July 2015.
