From 10 September to 6 October, the National Museum of Modern Art presents an exhibition by Nina Atević Murtić, titled A Dance of the Hand, at the Josip Račić Gallery. This versatile artist showcases a new series of paintings, reaffirming her role as a dedicated advocate of abstraction in an era dominated by figurative easel painting. She has built her reputation on sophisticated, lyrical compositions, based on the articulation of the pictorial field through subtle transitions and relationships of intensity in the essentially transparent layers of paint.
In recent years, Nina Atević Murtić has increasingly turned her attention to the monochrome and a minimalist treatment of the painting’s content, relying on the fewest gestures possible, aiming for a single decisive stroke to resolve the composition. This method requires intense focus, mastery, and confidence from the artist, along with the capacity to engage with the irrational, transmental, and intuitive aspects of creativity. The exhibition is curated by Branko Franceschi, Director of the National Museum of Modern Art, who notes in the accompanying catalogue: Is painting a dance of the hand? I would argue that when a keen sense of colour aligns with disciplined motor skills, there is no more fitting description. And sometimes, it is as patently obvious as in Nina Atević Murtić’s recent paintings. Branko Franceschi, from the exhibition catalogue
Biography
Nina Atević Murtić was born in 1970 in Zagreb. After graduating from the Secondary School of Applied Arts and Design, she enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. After graduating from the Teaching Department of the Academy of Fine Arts in the class of Prof. Miroslav Šutej, she visited USA where she exhibited at several group exhibitions. After passing the remaining exams at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, she graduated in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts. Upon her return to Zagreb, she was employed as an art director at the Heruc textile factory alongside Goran Lelas. Her work also includes participation in costume design projects, illustrating children’s books and art workshops. At the same time, she is working on projects of art design and equipping of hotels and interiors.
She has exhibited in private and public galleries and museums in Croatia (Studio Nest in Zagreb, Rovinj City Museum, Zabok City Gallery, Waldinger City Gallery in Osijek, Vladimir Bužančić Gallery of the Novi Zagreb Cultural Centre) and group projects abroad (“Croatian Artists” Gallerie Meneghello in Munich and “Miniscule” Gallery Oblong, curated by Vanya Balogh and Jim Racine in London. Since 2001, she has been collaborating with her husband Ranko Murtić on the project of the Zona Gallery, where she exhibited independently and at group exhibitions of Zona artists. Her works are in numerous private collections in Croatia.
Translated by: Robertina Tomić
Images: Nine Atević Murtić, Selection from the Open Cycle, 2023 — 2024 / pigment and acrylic binder on canvas 150 x 100 cm / 120 x 80 cm. / Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb