At the Venice Biennale, artist Safet Zec presents a powerful depiction of human fragility in his painting “Man and Child,” which forms part of his Exodus series. The artwork portrays a barefoot man cradling a collapsed child, both dressed in tattered, pale clothing. They appear trapped in a moment of crisis, surrounded by a bleak landscape dominated by browns and grays, evoking the harrowing experiences of war, disaster, or displacement.
Rendered in tempera, collage, and acrylic paint on newspapers spread across a canvas, the painting is displayed without a frame, suspended by ropes in the gallery. Its frayed edges and worn appearance enhance the sense of vulnerability, while the shimmering newspaper glimpsed through the paint anchors the work in the present. The classical technique and solemn atmosphere evoke the styles of revered masters like Caravaggio and Rembrandt.
Zec, now 74, created this poignant piece seven years ago, drawing from his own experiences of seeking refuge. Born in 1943 into a Muslim family, he fled his rural home for Sarajevo shortly after his birth, as conflict erupted in Bosnia. After studying art in Belgrade, he returned to Sarajevo in 1989, only to find himself on the run again when the city was besieged in 1992. During the Bosnian War, he lost his printing studio in the historic village of Počitelj when it was burned and looted.
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