Redesigning and restoring old furniture - that's what Lejla Selimović, a law graduate, does for a living. The whole idea of the “Wood Surgery” workshop, according to this craftswoman, revolves around the process of recognizing the potential and beauty of discarded furniture, having the ability to aesthetically breathe new life into it, and finally, finding people who are willing to trust in her. For eight years now, Lejla has been turning dilapidated old furniture into modern pieces that are attractive to customers. She began this work, as she says, spontaneously and impulsively, out of pure love.
One would think that art and post-war wounds were not so connected. Aida Šehović, a Bosnian-born artist based in New York, disagreed and, for the past 15 years, has proven that art can help in post-conflict recovery.
Hundreds of children used to flock to Kosmaj, Kozara, Sutjeska and other important sites erected in memory of the victims of the Second World War. Now these visits are rare, and some monuments have not been visited for years.
During the three-day Peace Festival ‘22 in Vitez in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, young people, activists, and journalists sent a unique message about their desire for life without division and discrimination. As their peers in Ukraine face the horrors of violent aggression, their affirmation of the need to maintain the peace was especially powerful.
A mixed media artist with a special talent for illustration and digital art, his works are exhibited in art galleries, institutions and public spaces around the world, from Sarajevo and Mostar, to Berlin, New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Taiwan. His works Madness Continuous and Depth were selected by the Platform for Contemporary Art and presented in New York’s famous Times Square.
The Post-Conflict Research Center and Balkan Diskurs opened the three-day Peace Festival ‘22 in the Čardaci Ethno Village in Vitez to talk to young people, activists, and journalists from across Bosnia and Herzegovina about the importance of peace, counteracting divisions, and respect for human rights.