“Niti” by Dusanka Botunjac

Exhibition of tapestries of author Dusanka Botunjac, entitled “Niti” (“Strings”), was officially opened on April 19, in the Ethnographic museum in Belgrade. The exhibition was opened by the speech of Vilma Niksanovic, director of the museum, and Goranka Vukadinovic, art historician and curator at the Atelier 61 from Novi Sad, was talking about author and her work.

- On this year – 2012, I mark 35 years since graduating from the Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade, and that is a worth jubilee to me. I sincerely hope that my presence on the art scene has left a trace in the field of textiles, as well as my relation to the authentic and traditional in artistic approach and preserving weaving skills – said Dusanka Botunjac.

In the catalogue of exhibition she wrote that “following her artistic credo she has chosen a complex way of the creative act”. Her way of creating tapestries is unique and it has a complete author’s approach, from graphic idea, preparation of material, weaving and making it all the way to the last string.

- In order to achieve my creative idea through the process of weaving, it was necessary to reveal completely the secrets of weaving. According to the graphic proposal, I create a structure with the help of thin wool strings, and so build a flat surface with a fine meticulous interweaving. Thus I create a grid of different values, graphic principle, and getting the illusion of volume, while following figurative form of my graphic solutions –Dusanka Botunjac explains her work, themes and inspiration.

In recent years, author was dedicated to technical research in the system of new performing opportunities. With the latest tapestries she managed to create them double-sided, with no front and back side, and during the process of weaving she used the term of vertical incision – resme, as a new designed component and placed it as a border in building surfaces with mosaic structure.

- Because of newly synthesized elements of double-siding and