Art practice as a means of resistance against marginalization

"He grew up with his grandmother and mother, who did needlework in a typical patriarchal family. At the Tobacco 001 Cultural Centre, he is presenting himself with needlepoint silhouettes of a naked body lying on satin fabrics, titled “I do not Want My Lover to Go to Work”, which is also the title of his exhibition.

In Dante’s opinion, what makes his works interesting within art world is precisely their deviation from the usual norm. With everything hand-made, his artistic process unfolds slowly, and he considers Sandžak, with its rich tradition of handicrafts, to be a completely unexplored, under-developed and marginalized region: “The area is predominantly populated by Muslims who are pretty much reserved. Our handicrafts combine influences of the Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary and communism, and it is this fusion of diverse cultural elements that makes it so very interesting. I work with visual, discourse and socially engaged arts. My art practice constitutes a means of resistance against the marginalization or invisibility of individuals and minorities through themes I myself intimately deal with as well. On the other hand, it also preserves Sandžak’s handicraft tradition and I use it in my artworks as a medium. Since I make everything by hand and by myself, every single piece of my artworks requires time. All my works are highly intimate and authentic. Just as I am authentic when I live with my family in Rožaje, where I draw my inspiration from. This is also the reason why I still live in this place, which is otherwise a very small and closed world. You can just imagine how it feels to be an ‘embroidery boy’ in a town like this.”

Source: RTV Slovenija.