Elda Koro – Australia

Venus digital art print on paper 40 CM X 40 CM

Born 1973, Sarajevo, Bosnia

Occupation:

Artist/Graphic designer

Education:

Current: Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship: Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.

2000 Advanced Diploma – Electronic Design and Interactive Multimedia: Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.

1997 From script to screen – creating broadcast productions: Melbourne University

1996 Bachelor of Fine Arts: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne.

Media:

Photography, digital media - limited edition prints, original oil and acrylic paintings,

digital photography and computer graphics. Preliminary digital sketches and prints are adapted and interpreted onto canvas using oil and acrylic paints.

Experiences related to art:

2002 to present: IT, Multimedia and Publicity Services Manager and Bosnian Community Art Project Coordinator, Multicultural Arts Victoria, Fitzroy, Melbourne.

Accountabilities:

• Multimedia projects and office administration management

• Design and development of community programs for specific target groups including youth, CALD and NESB groups, emerging communities and elderly groups, responding to the growing demands and various needs of out culturally diverse community.

• Event organising and volunteer staff management

•Coordinating community development project: concerts, art exhibitions and film festivals.

Honours and awards:

2004 Received CCD funding from Australia Council for the Arts for Bosnian community art project ‘Celebration of Peace and New Beginnings’

1995 Won encouragement award at Khyat Hotel exhibition, Brighton, Melbourne

Group Exhibitions:

2003 Federation of Ethnic Communities Council of Australia – FECCA Conference, Melbourne Museum, Carlton

2003 ‘Overlaps’ Managing Diversity Conference, City of Darebin, Preston, Melbourne

2002 ‘Summertime’, Bascarsijske Noci Summer Art Festival, Sarajevo various locations, Bosnia and Herzegovina

2001 ‘Our Journey’, Art and Soul Gallery, Preston, Melbourne

2000 ‘Pixel Paradiso’, Swinburne Galleries, Melbourne

1999 ‘Diaphanous’, Span Galleries, Melbourne, presented by Multicultural Arts Victoria

1998 ‘Citadel 1’ St Kilda Town Hall, Melbourne

1998 ‘Citadel 2’ Gasworks Theatre Gallery, South Melbourne

1998 ‘Post – Postcard Show’, Linden Gallery, St Kilda, Melbourne

1997 ‘Arabesque cascades’, Tmesis Gallery, Mt Eliza, Melbourne

1997 ‘Red nose, Blue mountains’, St Kilda Town Hall, Melbourne

1997 ‘Girls in Melbourne’, The Platform, Spencer Street, Melbourne

1997 ‘Bordertown’, George Patton Gallery, Melbourne University

1996 ‘Graduate Show’ RMIT Fine Art Department, Melbourne

1996 ‘Exchange’ drawing exhibition, RMIT-VCA, Melbourne

1996 ‘Alphabet Soup’ the First Sight Gallery, RMIT, Melbourne

1996 ‘Times Five’ New Wave Festival, VCA, Melbourne

Important collections:

1999 Artwork represented by the Span Galleries in Melbourne

1998 Triptych ‘Filigree’, acquired by the Sydney Art Bank collection

Artists’ Statement:

The inspiration for my artwork derives from artistic influences of European classical painting traditions, aesthetics of Islam, Ottomans and medieval Bosnians – Bogomils, migration experience and life in contemporary Australia. The discovery of new painting techniques and multimedia technologies started this artistic exploration, enforced by feeling of liberation and freethinking expression in art practice. My personal life journey reflects a mixture of these elements. I stated rediscovering and redefining my own cultural identity and sense of self in relations to other worlds’ cultures, and this process became my inspiration. This life changing experience has been the subject to most of my recent work, and the need to explore untouched visual grounds has become a personal fixation.

My work celebrates female body exploring iconic imagery juxtaposed with traditional symbolic elements. This work primarily emphasizes the beauty of forms and shapes, investigating the forbidden rules of Islam relating to representation of the human body, but also celebrates the medieval Bosnian cultural heritage of Bogomils (pre Ottomans). The artwork has a lyrical nature where images of female body are entwined with symbolic representations depicted with the use of gold, kaleidoscopic colours and vibrant Bosnian landscape motifs. There is a strong expression of fluidity, hypnotic and dreamy visual language, depicting figurative dance in a surreal landscape where human body defaults to perfection. This artwork is a journey through time, places and unseen visual energies.