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Dragan is the quiet painter of the absence and the dread. He achieves this by involving the spectator into the calm and isolated regions of the characters or places he depicts. With his work, Dragan is able to present ordinary reality in a suggestive, yet questionning manner, giving a sense of something unsettling happening behind the scenes. Animals are often present in his works. Through them he is exploring our struggles, fears and anxieties. His eerie interiors, doors open on black nothingness and expectant animals are all playing with our fears and our nightmares.
Чурлињак (čurlinjak) - The most basic motif, representing a cross section of the lower part of the whisk for mixing ingredients (called čurlinjak).
Врашко колено (Devil's knee) - The motif comes from the pre-Christian Slavic religion. It symbolises movement in circles (kolo dance) and the flow of life, and provides strength, bravery and defense against evil.
Корњача/жељка (turtle) - The most popular pattern of the Pirot Kilim. It symbolises durability and longevity and brings fertility, healthy life and protection from danger.
Ченђели (čenđeli) - Represents a grappling hook mounted on a wooden pole, used for hanging things.
Бо��бе (bombs) - It beard this name due to its semblance to handgranades, but the motif has existed since before handgrandes were invented. It provides strength and energy, especially to men, so the kilims with this motif were usually gifted to boys for their life milestones.
Гуштер (lizard) - This pattern probably originates from modified depictions of dragons. It represents laziness and indifference, but also change, flexibility and adaptation to the world.
Ђулови (roses) - It represents a stylised cross section of a rose, showing both the exterior as well as the pistils, anthers and seeds inside. It is symbolises a young woman and her beauty. Kilims with this motif are often gifted to daughters by their mothers. Different variations of this motif exist, some of which (the roses on shackles) were, according to legends, made as rebellion of kilim weavers against the Ottoman repression.
Ђаволчићи (Little Devils) - The devil is represented as a human figure turned upside down, with the devil's head turned towards the underworld, and a bird on the other side representing the heaven.
Гугутка (dove) - Birds protect from evil spirits and diseases and connect the earth and sky. It represents family harmony, love, peace and joy, and as such kilims with this motif are often gifted to new homeowners. This motif can often be seen arranged around a pole, representing a tree full of birds.
Атапот (atapot) - It represents an octopus, and the name probably came from a distorted pronunciation of the word oktopod (octopus).
Француске бомбоне (French candies) - This motif was probably inspired by silk candy wrapped in decorative paper and brought to Serbia from distant lands. According to a folk story, when the French soldiers liberated Pirot in the First World War in 1918, the kilim weavers designed this pattern as a sign of gratitude.
Столица (chair) - It represents an antique chair and the inspiration for this pattern came from the everyday life of the kilim weavers.
Тиче (tiče) - It represents a small bird.
Source: "Ornaments of Serbia: the Pirot Kilim" by Milica Živadinović. Art by me.
◾Serbian Orthodox Epiphany, known as Богојављење (lat. Bogojavljenje) , is a significant religious observance celebrated on January 19th (January 6th in the Julian calendar). On this day, the Serbian Orthodox Church commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. One of the distinctive customs during Богојављање is the ritual of „Пливање за часни крст“ or swimming for the Holy Cross.
◾In this ritual, young men dive into icy waters to retrieve a wooden cross thrown by a priest. The one who successfully retrieves the cross is believed to receive a special blessing and good fortune throughout the year.
◾This tradition symbolizes the baptism of Jesus and emphasizes the importance of spiritual cleansing and renewal. The act of swimming in cold waters represents a commitment to faith and a willingness to endure challenges for the sake of religious devotion.