The Art of Movement with Ana Pušica

Words Vidula KotianImages Ibrahim Razzan courtesy of Patina MaldivesDate 04 March 2024

Ana Pušica’s art is as much a physical act rooted in movement as it is her exploration of light, color, and self.

Described as a “beautiful fluorescent thunderstorm”, her larger-than-life canvasses employ diverse techniques and surfaces, creating captivating layers through repeated motifs and dynamic gestures. The Serbian contemporary artist, based in Germany, just finished a month-long residency at Patina Maldives. We caught up with the self-confessed “pink girl” who is exploring her green side.

Could you tell us a bit about your artistic practice?

I’ve been interested in art since my childhood. It was always the one thing I was good at. I like to start with a photo I took or a sketch I made. There is always a figure that is present in my canvas. This figure is very important to me because my work is between abstraction and figuration. So even if my work is very abstract sometimes, I need to connect to this figure. I think this probably comes from my childhood. I was a lonely child and I had this self-awareness because most of the time I would connect with myself.

I work on the floor and go with the flow...with a big splash of color and a lot of movement. I’m a part of the painting in that moment. I never really know how the painting will turn out until it's dry. I put it on the wall and it's also a kind of surprise for me.

Who are those figures in the paintings?

I never asked myself who that is. For me the question is why and how. Why I already explained…that it is something very personal that I need to have. How is also an interesting question because I always think big. I want the biggest canvas, and then I want a very huge figure on that canvas, but I want to hide what actually is happening there. So you’ll never see the whole bodies of my figures. They are cut—you see them in profile or just the hand or one ear, but are they are swimming or dancing? Nobody knows because I don’t put the accent on that. I think the happening is somewhere else outside of the canvas and we see just a part.

What is key for me is what I can control and what I can’t. This is a big topic in my personal and professional life. When I work with so many colors, water, and dynamic movements, I cannot control everything and I don’t want to control it. This game is driving me. It is giving me so much energy to deal with who we are, what we can do, and what not.

The hiding has to do with control then?

Yes. I thought that if I control everything, I will not be vulnerable. I don’t have to talk about my feelings or show that I am very emotional and maybe weak sometimes. It’s interesting how my work is also influencing my relationship with myself.

What role does color play?

Color is the language I use to express all this. When I look around, especially here on the island, I see fantastic color combinations that I know would work very well in my paintings. Of course that moves me but when I say that color is my life, it’s about when I physically touch and open those colors I have here and start mixing them. I get so excited. I cannot explain it to you but everything makes sense then. I feel like I am where I should be. With just some colors, I can create my imaginary world and form a completely new reality. I can create something, someone, or whatever. This is so powerful. So I can really say color is my best friend.

Is it your first time in the Maldives?

No, it’s my third time. I like it here a lot. You can really rest. I even got married on the Maldives. It’s my first time coming to work here which changed everything. 

How has the place affected your work? 

Everything is pretty much greenish in my canvases here even if I I’m pretty pink girl at home. It does influence me because it’s a different rhythm of life. I’m kind of a soldier. I like to get up at the same time everyday, go to my studio, have my coffee in my chair, look for half an hour at an empty canvas, and then I go for it. I have my routine.

Here it is different. People are coming and going from my studio all the time. I’m freer and I risk more. When I’m in my home studio, I think twice or three times before changing something. Here I have a bit of pressure. I feel uncomfortable just sitting and thinking for an hour while the guests are staring at me so I take action. This action is probably more real, honest, direct, and not controlled so much. I’m getting completely new results. I have come up with solutions that I would never find at home. I think it’s so important to go out of your comfort zone. It brings so much to my work and to me. When I look at my new work, it’s fluffier, easier, and more experimental, but also more figurative maybe because I see so many people. 

The other interesting thing is that the manager of the resort is this very tall skinny French guy. He is perfect to be my model because he resembles the figures I draw. I asked him if could I make some drawings of him and I find myself painting him all the time here.

When was the last time you were moved by something?

I’m working on a project where guests at Patina can come to my studio and we create something together. There was this little girl, maybe five years old, from China. She was incredibly cute. I told her to draw something she would like to say if everyone could hear her. She knew immediately what she wanted to draw. I asked her, “What is that?” and she said, “That’s my mom.” That moved me so much because it’s so simple. She drew a happy mom and for her, this is everything. I have adults coming here who sit for one hour and they don’t know what to say. We are so blocked. We can’t even hear ourselves. 

Where is your favorite place to be?

The studio here definitely. I learned now that my studio can be wherever, on the island or in Germany. When I’m here, it’s my world and probably the only place where I feel secure and loved. Of course, there are nice so many nice cities and beautiful beaches, but me dirty in the studio...that is the best place.