Maja is an artist, a dog lover, provocative performer, post-postmodernist, turbofolk bombshell, devoted housewife, prophetic storyteller and a meticulous maker of uncanny worlds. She is a collection of untamed personas. Women that question and criticize their surroundings through a humorous lens. Her performative approach seeps through the narratives in vaguely defiant ways. More often than not, Maja's personas will subvert the status quo for her own benefit, rather than plainly protest it. 'If you can't beat them, infiltrate and dismantle'. No medium is foreign to her, she wove her nest in the intersection of research and making, comfortably intersecting both in new patterns. Right when you think you can pin her art as just fashion, or just performance, or just anything, she'll prove to you that categories are cages and she does not play by the rules.
Re-imagining a happy place - As humans, we tend to have strong emotional connections with
certain objects in our house that make us feel at home, for example,
one’s spot at the dining table, a favorite pillow to sleep on or a preferred
side of the bed. That said, could we make ‘home’ possible with those
little things wherever we are? Do we become subservient to those
things and get so emotionally attached, that it hurts when those things
break or vanish? Even if we do get attached to them, they are there to
help us get through something difficult in life. With them we create our
‘bubble’ where we feel safe, and it gives us comfort. Besides the
importance of material object, I am examining the value of rituals and
sensory input as they highly contribute in the creation of a domestic
space.
Spamantha Bones & Housewife House - Blond bimbo bombshell in need of a husband? The newspapers
would like to think. Although Spamantha’s fertile womb could
carry 10 or so kids until it’s worn out. She has feminist wounds
and dark bushy brows - all she wants is revenge.
Spamantha is a turbofolk wet fever dream. Electric housewife by
day and glitchy superstar by night. Spamantha is devoured by
the uncanny valley, something always a bit off. She labours long
hours to feed you her notorious ‘sarma’ but in a second she could
have a change of heart and leave you hungry, starving even. Her
performances are borderline feral as she remembers the folk
songs through rose tinted glasses of the diaspora life. At the end
of the day she always sets a match to the main institutions of
patriarchy and its many sons.
Going to Canada - 'Going to Canada' is a 5 - 10 minute performance that is dealing with a famous Serbian rap song called 'Going to Canada' which is about the Zemun mafia (a famous mafia group from Belgrade) where they rap about being in prison. 'Going to Canada' is a code they used for telling somebody that they are going to be killed. Because, when you die you are going to heaven. Heaven for gastarbeiters (guestworkers), heaven for Balkan people is Canada. In short, the performance deals with borders, visas, diaspora and the concept of freedom. In my art practice, I am dealing with a personal interest and curiosity about visas, everyday struggle of the common man and the role of women in society.
Make this Balkan princess our WDKA queen, 2020/2021 - Campaign for Willem de Kooning Academy student council board of 2021.
Exploring who and why people like and what attracts them (in this case) to vote, ended up winning the election.
Voyage around my rooms, 2020
Voyage around my rooms, 2020
Voyage around my rooms, 2020 - Voyage around my rooms is inspired by my abnormal
and surrealist dreams during the pandemic. Every room is like a vivid
landscape imagined by the mind.
Each room in the house where I am
staying during the corona virus outbreak is a different world. The topic
of being a woman and what is home for women, unites the rooms into a whole. Playing with contrast of societies, mainstream opinions, objectification, examples in the animal kingdom and ancient stories, I made fantasy like photographs that tell stories with hidden symbolism in the details. Women are seen as these innocent creatures who are supposed to give a man pleasure – be a sex goddess in the bedroom, cooking 3 meals a day in the kitchen and be a polite and obedient lady
at the dining table. But what happens if that picture is broken and they show their true nature, their fears and desires?
