From the
article featured at Neu America Art Magazine
Issue: July
2009
BACK TO OUR
ROOTS
The work of
Mirjana Novak Cesar.
To talk about
Mirjana’s creations is to talk about nature itself. The richness of the colors,
the mix of textures and shapes, and the natural elements used in her work are a
remembrance of her homeland in Croatia and a measure of influence the American
landscape has had on her. Although filled with familiar elements such as
flowers and ferns, her composition and forms are her own interpretation of her
surroundings.
Mirjana Novak Cesar
was born and raised in Zagreb, Croatia in 1964. From a very young age her
artisan grandparents and mother influenced her with their creative spirits.
They taught her sewing, needlework, crotchet, knitting, and everything else
involving fiber. She started designing her own clothes and one-of-a-kind
wearable art accessories when she was in elementary school. Mirjana studied
furniture design at University of Zagreb and this experience allowed her to
explore new ways of exploring her creative mind.
After the end
of the Croatian War in 1992, Mirjana and her husband moved to the United States
where they bore three children. Mirjana continued designing and experimenting
with fiber arts and devoted most of her thirties to raising her children. After
thoughtful experimentation, she found her way to her own original style
artwork. “My artwork is a fusion between acrylic painting
and fiber collage with emphasis on the incorporation of natural and recycled
materials. It's constantly evolving with extensive use of old artisan
techniques, weaving, and embroidery, that all combined result in original and
unique works.”
She works with
burlap rather than canvas because of its’ organic roughness and receptivity to specific techniques she
is currently using. Acrylic paints, fabric cutouts, various yarns, threads, and
wood beads allows her to achieve a dimensional, primitive, and yet contemporary
look.
Mirjana’s work
is full of sensitivity and her inspiration comes from her interaction with the
environment. Her paintings embrace a multitude of experiences, references,
interactions, and emotional truths that almost transcend the dimension of the
canvas. Her artwork is an invitation to return to our roots and to reconnect
with Mother Nature. “We forget to look at the simple, small things, like fern
buds unfurling, unfolding just like life itself. We should walk the fields of
flowers instead of concrete sidewalks.”
Today, as her
work has entered a new evolutionary state, Mirjana’s astonishing technical
acumen and astuteness have cemented her reputation as an original artist. Her
work transcends time and genre and makes the viewer, including myself, long for
more of her creation. Although many artists have tackled the same subjects,
Mirjana’s originality lies in the contrast between her rough materials and the
delicacy of her touch. She captures nature in an unprecedented manner and
translates it into the pictorial space with a perfect balance between
sensitivity, finesse, and original technique.
