Bosnian-Herzegovinian painter Safet Zec spoke about his creativity, inspiration and the importance of preserving the past, emphasizing that art stems from personal experience and deep emotions.
Speaking about the cycle “Sarajevo Houses”, Zec emphasized that they are deeply woven into his life and childhood memories. He recalled growing up in Bistrik and the time spent in Čaršija, where houses, courtyards and people were an inseparable part of everyday life.
“They are a part of our lives, actually,” said Zec, explaining that everything that fascinated him visually over the years he “stored within himself”, only to later translate it into art.
He particularly evoked images from his childhood, such as gatherings in courtyards and the arrival of the train, when children ran to watch passengers with suitcases. That world, he points out, is slowly disappearing today, and his paintings represent an attempt to preserve what time erases.
“These are all metaphors of a life, which of course you also turn into a message, that they should not be demolished, they must not be demolished,” said Zec, pointing out the importance of preserving the authentic architecture and heritage of Sarajevo.
The City Hall as a symbol of the city
Speaking about the Sarajevo City Hall, Zec emphasized its symbolic and social significance for the city. “We gather, it obliges you to dress nicely and enter it, because it is truly solemn,” he said, adding that it is a place where important decisions were made and which represents the identity of the city. According to him, such spaces remind us of the need to preserve and nurture values.
In his reflection on emotion in art, Zec emphasized that he is driven by a fascination with the human capacity for creation. He spoke of the excitement he feels in front of great works, emphasizing that art moves him deeply. “I am excited by art,” he said, recalling magnificent works of music, architecture, and painting as proof of the power of human creativity.
The essence of creation and personal experience
When he talks about the essence of art, Zec returns to universal examples like Michelangelo’s “Pieta”, emphasizing how supreme works transcend the human and touch the almost divine. He pointed out that in his own work he is guided by the need for the work to excite him personally first, so that it can transmit the emotion to others.
“First of all, that window has to excite me, it has to excite me,” he said, explaining his creative process.
At the end, he also talked about his permanent curiosity and dedication to work, despite his years. He believes that mastery develops with experience and does not end as long as there is a desire to progress.
“You just want even better, even better,” concluded Zec, emphasizing that the constant striving for improvement is what keeps an artist alive and creatively active.
