Ja, Ja, Ja!
Beyond the kitchen of #3, Panorama Flats
Absolutely confounded. It was a profuse struggle to attempt to make heads or tails of the exhibition text at R Gallery introducing Zvezdan Reljic’s solo show and collection of work, playfully titled: Ja, Ja, Ja! (June – August 2023). After going through it two or three times, I was simply none the wiser. Convoluted paragraphs, references ad nauseam, and hell of a lot of up-your-own-arsery…you didn’t need to understand it, really; just love it.
A caption below the ‘curatorial text’, proved revelatory: Written by ‘Dr’ GPT: Confoundedness explained. This had Zvezdan’s seal of approval written all over it. Not only was it fitting, but it was perfectly in sync with his unique sense of humour. I can’t help but smile at the recollection; and I can’t help but recall his raucous, resounding laughter, either. His ‘style’ and his humour had been perfectly mirrored in the jabberwocky penned by the online medic.
Walking through R Gallery, almost 18 months ago, I was incredulous. Not at Zvez’s bravura – anyone who’s ever come within inches of him, knows he oozed all sorts of creative juices – quasi gratuitously – but rather, because we had all been waiting for that show, for so long. Possibly from the moment directly after meeting him, and understanding all that was encapsulated in one human being. He’s had myriad projects – participating, collaborating, showing his work in collectives. Yet a proper solo exhibition remained elusive, somehow. * Or not, actually, because he was, perhaps, the most humble and supportive person on the Maltese art scene whom I had, and have still encountered, so far. There was no pretence, no expectation. Just a sharing of concepts, stories, narratives; as well as food, coffee, music and tobacco. Zvezdan even shared his home with all those who needed a location for a shoot, a makeshift studio or simply a safe space in which to create and be their audacious selves – an audacity which he forever welcomed and encouraged.
Zvez had been living in Malta for some three decades. Which is why it is ironically painful and bittersweet that his first proper solo show took place in a mere months before his passing. A show which revealed both a sophisticated and increasingly playful evolution of style in his photography. An evolution which married darkroom analogue photography with graphic design and publishing. The thought of the magnitude of his oeuvre, the sheer volume of work he produced and collaborated on, the variety of projects he spearheaded or facilitated… and the possibilities locked in the ‘what ifs’, produces a distinct twitching of the innards, which can only be explained through loss and grief.
Portraits & Human Landscapes
Zvezdan’s website and social media pages are a panoply of nudes and portraits. The subject(s) of his work, as much a staple as the grainy, pointillist texture of his photographs, or of his creamy / chocolatey chromatic choices. His website, says nothing about him, yet it contains all you need to know about his aesthetic, through plentiful visuals which reflect the context in which he lived and worked, the many interesting humans that crossed his life, and his positively unique worldview. There’s no bio, no never-ending CV of projects: Prints. Contact. Workshop. That’s all he wanted to show. The weight of importance equally distributed between the work of the self, and how it can inform and be imparted unto the other.
Expanses of skin: The subtitle describes his oeuvre of work, as much as the content and subject matter represented. Zvezdan was a profoundly figurative artist, yet his work oscillated continuously between traditional representation, sophisticated abstraction, and at times, also pure minimalism. And it is in the latter stances, that I found and experienced pure magic.
Imagine this: A ‘V’ and a line. Almost sounds like I’m describing a Miro painting of a girl and a bird. Yet, in this case, what is represented, is a shaven female crotch and the gentle divide between her thighs. It’s oh so subtle. Not in the least bit erotic, yet plenty cheeky, and truly masterful. Awkward angles, zoomed-in details, ‘aerial’ shots, distortion of perspective, and plenty of plays with light and shade, texture and positive / negative space. He possessed an uncanny ability to hone into detail and nuance, to frame a limb or a ‘body crease’, often resulting in an abstract, ‘obscure’ composition – the uncertainty of the portrayal at play, forever mesmerising and magnetically attractive.
The mentor & publisher
Zvezdan was more than a photographer, printmaker or publisher. He was a catalyst; he brought people together through his initiatives and projects – it is no stretch to claim that he almost single-handedly shaped the landscape for B&W analogue photography on the island; many of those possessing and using a vintage camera, having done so, after indubitably contracting the photography bug, from his apartment in Sliema, where he held courses in darkroom printing and photography. He transmitted his love of photography to many of those he met, often extending his workshop / masterclass skills, and professional consultation, far beyond the designated hours. In fact, there is immensely talented cluster of young emerging photographers, whose aesthetic betrays the master to whom they are indebted.
Zvezdan was the epitome of prolific: he worked on his photography, whilst simultaneously running his publishing house, EDE books, as well as founding, running and managing Kixott cooperative, not to mention the many projects and collaborations hovering in the background. He had a quiet strength and a fierce demeanour. He made things happen. Constantly, consistently. There was always something brewing – much like his coffee; a staple of his, as much as his cigs – and there was always some visionary project in the pipeline. He unknowingly and inadvertently created a most significant legacy, through the sheer love and passion infused in all he did.
Much has been written about Zvezdan since December 22, 2023. I guess, I purposely chose to ‘ignore’ the history and the context and focus on his creative output. He was the kind of person who impressed you at every encounter. His eyes saw things which an average human eye would be envious of, even with sensitive training. Perhaps that was how he charmed us all – by giving us a glimpse of what he saw, and the opportunity of witnessing it with our own set of eyes.
* Zvezdan Reljic also had a solo exhibition at the Malta Postal Hub in 2017, as part of the project titled ‘Somna’, in collaboration with three dancers / performers.
