Mersad Berber (1 January 1940 – 7 October 2012)
Mersad Berber was the most considerable artist to emerge from the chaos of the Balkan wars of the 1990s. He achieved a degree of international celebrity previously unknown for any artist who came from this region of Europe, with exhibitions in London (Albemarle Gallery), Hamburg, Istanbul, Chicago, Abu Dhabi, Moscow, Madrid, Zurich and New York.

The paintings exhibited, as a memorial to his career and work, focus on aspects of it that have brought him worldwide admiration. These include elegant female portraits, based on High Renaissance prototypes, with which he challenged the 16th century masters of the Venetian school; paraphrases of Velazquez, which express his profound admiration for the great Spanish master; and paintings of horses, which recall his love for the peasant life of the Bosnian countryside.

There are also some touching and penetrating self-portraits, made shortly before his death. They give a good idea of the breadth of his cultural interests, but the frequent fragmentation of the images also makes it clear that these are the product of an extremely contemporary sensibility.

I trust you enjoy this visit and may you be enriched with the work of masters of art
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