Danijela Mihić
-b. 1997. in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She graduated from the Department of Painting at the Academy of Arts, University of Banja Luka, in 2020. She is currently pursuing her master’s studies in Banja Luka. Mihić has received several awards—the Academy of Arts, University of Banja Luka, award for the best study for a painting (2018); the UDAS Cultural Centre award for the best works at the Annual Exhibition of Student Works at the Academy of Arts, Banja Luka (2019); and the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Republic of Srpska award for the best works at the Graduation Exhibition of Painting Students of the Academy of Arts, Banja Luka (2020). She was a finalist in the ZVONO (Young Visual Artist Award) competition for the best contemporary artist in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2020.
Whether expressing myself through painting, puppetry, stop-motion animation, or installation, the core of my work revolves around the question of individuality and authenticity: how sustainable are they in contemporary society? In my artistic practice, I often examine the concept of identity and its transformations under the influence of imposed social norms. I see everyday life as a performance, a carnival, or a circus act, which is why costumes, makeup, and wigs are key elements in my paintings.
After my undergraduate studies, I painted a series of seven self-portraits titled Today I am… in different costumes. I wore a cactus costume1, a wedding dress, and various gowns, using the paintings to challenge the imposed conventions of my social environment. The self-portrait in a wedding dress, titled Today I am finally happy2, clearly expresses my stance on traditional and conservative views on marriage and its significance for women.
A few years later, I returned to working with costumes and created the piece Nothing Amusses Me Anymore.3 The tree costume with a plush squirrel starkly contrasts with the gloomy facial expression. The very title of the painting reflects my inner state—boredom and a sense of momentary despair.
For me, the creative process begins before painting, when I work with the model to find a costume for the role they will “play.” I am often inspired by films and interiors; for instance, the pieces Under Pressure4, 255 and 26 were inspired by The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972) and A Woman Under the Influence (1974). Identity, completely altered by a wig and expressive makeup, portrays a person on the verge of hysterical laughter or a nervous breakdown. The combination of traditional portraiture with a contemporary depiction of a woman in an artificial setting, in a theatrical pose, is not only aesthetically appealing but also artistically challenging.
Sandra is a model who appears in several of my works.67 Whether sitting on the edge of a bathtub or leaning against a car, she poses as a fictional, unknown character in a scene reminiscent of a film. The transformative power of makeup, costume, and lighting plays a key role in creating a new identity. Cindy Sherman’s influence is evident in my work, as I, like her, often explore roles and identities through personal portraits to examine the relationship between the observer and the person in the image. She frequently takes on roles that, depending on the direction of her gaze, are either distanced from the viewer or in direct communication with the audience.
Monica Vitti, a key figure in Italian cinema of the 1960s and 1970s, inspires me in creating complex, emotionally charged scenes that explore the inner worlds of my models. I do not present my portrayed figures as merely real people; rather, I construct alternative representations of identity that, though partially fictional, become real in the viewer’s perception. These transformations allow me to explore the concept of self-perception and how public images and social roles shape our awareness of ourselves.
During my master’s studies, I researched the work of Alexander Calder, as I was creating puppets and producing short stop-motion animations during that period. Puppetry is a world modeled after our own, yet within it, countless possibilities exist for depicting human characteristics. Different characters, with exaggerated gestures and emotions, can be conveyed through a careful selection of materials—from the texture of fabric to the rigidity of wood or the flexibility of wire. This led to the creation of the installation and a two-minute stop-motion animation Cirkus8, realized in collaboration with AGGF students in Banja Luka as a direct reference to Calder’s Circus. The installation was exhibited at the Student Cultural Center in Banja Luka in November 2024 as part of my master’s exhibition The Identity of Everyday Life. It was presented alongside other works, including the stop-motion animation and the painting Paper Moon9, aiming to showcase the connection between the different media I work with.
Although at first glance it may seem that I engage in completely different things, my work is connected by the motifs of play, transformation, and the need for exploration. Art should not be a static form but a continuous process of rediscovery.
The text was written in consultancy with Adna Muslija (2025).
1Danijela Mihić, Today I am A Cactus, oil on canvas, 70x50cm, 2021.
2Danijela Mihić, Today I am Finally Happy, oil on canvas, 70x50cm, 2021.
3Danijela Mihić, Nothing Amuses Me Anymore, oil on canvas, 100x80cm, 2025.
4Danijela_Mihić, Under Pressure, oil on canvas, 70x70cm, 2023.
5Danijela Mihić, 25, oil on canvas, 100x80cm, 2023.
6Danijela Mihić, Sandra, oil on canvas, 60x60cm, 2024.
7Danijela Mihić, Sandra, oil on canvas, 50x40cm, 2024.
8Danijela Mihić and ANIA Studio, The Circus, Installation, 140x140x70cm, 2024.
9Danijela Mihić, It's Only a Paper Moon, oil on canvas, 100x80cm, 2024.
-r. 1997. u Banjoj Luci, BiH. godine. Diplomirala je na Odsjeku za slikarstvo na Akademiji umjetnosti Univerziteta u Banjoj Luci 2020. godine. Trenutno je na master studijama u Banjoj Luci. Mihić je dobitnica nekoliko nagrada – nagrade Akademije umjetnosti Univerziteta u Banjoj Luci za najbolju studiju za sliku (2018); nagrade Kulturnog centra UDAS za najbolja djela na Godišnjoj izložbi studentskih radova Akademije umjetnosti u Banjoj Luci (2019); te nagrade Muzeja savremene umjetnosti Republike Srpske za najbolja djela na Diplomskom izložbi studenata slikarstva Akademije umjetnosti u Banjoj Luci (2020). Bila je finalistica konkursa ZVONO (Nagrada za mlade vizuelne umjetnike) za najboljeg savremenog umjetnika Bosne i Hercegovine 2020. godine.
Bilo da se izražavam kroz slikarstvo, lutkarstvo, stop-motion animaciju ili instalaciju, u središtu mog rada nalazi se pitanje individualnosti i autentičnosti: koliko su one održive u savremenom društvu? U svojoj umjetničkoj praksi često preispitujem pojam identiteta i njegove transformacije pod uticajem nametnutih društvenih pravila. Svakodnevicu posmatram kao predstavu, karneval ili tačku u cirkusu, zbog čega kostimi, šminka i perike predstavljaju ključne elemente na mojim slikama.
Nakon diplomskih studija, naslikala sam seriju od sedam slika autoportreta pod nazivom Danas sam… u različitim kostimima. Nosila sam kostim kaktusa1, vjenčanicu i različite haljine, a slikama sam se usprotivila nametnutim konvencijama društvene sredine. Autoportret u vjenčanici, pod nazivom Danas sam napokon srećna2, jasno prikazuje moj odnos prema ustaljenim i konzervativnim stavovima o braku i njegovom značenju za ženu.
Nekoliko godina nakon toga vraćam se kostimima i nastaje rad Ništa me više ne zabavlja.3 Kostim drveta sa plišanom vjevericom je u potpunom kontrastu sa sumornim izrazom lica. Sam naziv slike indicira moje unutrašnje stanje – dosadu i osjećaj trenutnog beznađa.
Za mene, kreativni proces počinje prije slikanja, kada sa modelom pronalazim kostim za ulogu koju će on “odigrati”. Često sam inspirisana filmovima i enterijerima, pa su tako za radove Pod pritiskom4, 255 i 26 inspiracije bili filmovi Gorke suze Petre von Kant (1972) i Žena pod uticajem (1974). Identitet, potpuno izmijenjen perikom i izražajnom šminkom, predstavlja osobu koja je na ivici histeričnog smijeha ili nervnog sloma. Spoj tradicionalnih portreta sa savremenim prikazom žene u vještačkom okruženju, u teatralnoj pozi, nije samo estetski primamljiv, već i likovno izazovan.
Sandra je model koji se pojavljuje u nekoliko mojih radova.67 Bilo da sjedi na ivici kade ili je naslonjena na auto, pozira kao fiktivni, nepoznati lik u sceni koja podsjeća na film. Transformativna moć šminke, kostima i osvjetljenja, igra ključnu ulogu u stvaranju novog identiteta. Uticaj Cindy Sherman je očigledan u mom radu, jer kao i ona, često istražujem uloge i identitete kroz lične portrete, kako bih ispitala odnos između posmatrača i same osobe na slici. Ona često igra uloge koje su, u zavisnosti od usmjerenja njenog pogleda, ili distancirane od posmatrača ili su u potpunoj komunikaciji sa publikom.
Monika Vitti kao ključna figura italijanskog filma 60-ih i 70-ih, inspiriše me u procesu za stvaranja složenih, emotivnih scena koje istražuju unutrašnje svjetove mojih modela. Portretirane modele ne predstavljam samo kao realne osobe, već stvaram alternativne predstave identiteta koje, iako djelimično fiktivne, u percepciji publike postaju stvarne. Ove transformacije omogućavaju mi da istražujem koncept samopercepcije i način na koji javne slike i društvene uloge oblikuju našu svijest o sebi.
Tokom master studija istraživala sam rad Alexandra Caldera, jer sam u tom periodu izrađivala lutke i pravila kratke stop-motion animacije. Lutkarstvo je svijet oblikovan po uzoru na naš, ali u njemu postoji bezbroj mogućnosti za prikazivanje ljudskih osobina. Različiti karakteri, sa prenaglašenim gestama i emocijama, mogu se dočarati kroz pažljiv izbor materijala – od teksture tkanine do krutosti drveta ili gipkosti žice. Tako je nastala instalacija i dvominutna stop-motion animacija Cirkus8, koja je ostvarena u saradnji sa studentima AGGF-a u Banjoj Luci, kao direktna referenca na Calderov cirkus. Instalacija je izložena u Studentskom kulturnom centru u Banjoj Luci u novembru 2024. godine, u sklopu moje master izložbe Identitet svakodnevnice. Postavljena je u prostoru zajedno sa drugim radovima, uključujući stop-motion animaciju i sliku Mjesec od papira9, čime sam željela prikazati povezanost različitih medija kojima se bavim.
Iako na prvi pogled djeluje da radim potpuno različite stvari, moj rad povezuju motivi igre, transformacije i potreba za istraživanjem. Umjetnost ne smije biti statična forma, već neprekidan proces ponovnog otkrivanja.
Tekst je napisan u konsultaciji s Adnom Muslija (2025).
1Danijela Mihić, Danas sam kaktus, ulje na platnu, 70x50cm, 2021.
2Danijela Mihić, Danas sam napokon srećna, ulje na platnu, 70x50cm, 2021.
3Danijela Mihić, Ništa me više ne zabavlja, ulje na platnu, 100x80cm, 2025.
4Danijela_Mihić, Pod pritiskom, ulje na platnu, 70x70cm, 2023.
5Danijela Mihić, 25, ulje na platnu, 100x80cm, 2023.
6Danijela Mihić, Sandra, ulje na platnu, 60x60cm, 2024.
7Danijela Mihić, Sandra, ulje na platnu, 50x40cm, 2024.
8Danijela Mihić i ANIA Studio, Cirkus, Instalacija, 140x140x70cm, 2024.
9Danijela Mihić, Mjesec od papira, ulje na platnu, 100x80cm, 2024.
