Mersad Berber: An Allegory of Bosnia

Mersad Berber (1940 – 2012) is one of the greatest and most significant representatives of Bosnian–Herzegovinian art from the second half of the 20th century. His vast body of expressive and unique works triggered the local art scene’s recognition into Europe as well as the international stage.

Berber belongs to an exceptionally dynamic period of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s contemporary cultural history. He led a young generation of graphic artists opening up the local scene internationally. He was one of the few artists whose talent and mastery enabled him to frequently exhibit in prestigious museums and galleries.

Inspired by the great European masters, from Renaissance to Art Nouveau, Berber’s works are mostly in large scales of combined techniques with a post-modern sensibility. His work embodies the culture of remembrance with characteristic themes and compositional novelties.

From the golden color gamut and the splendor of Berber’s early works, his interpretation of artists such as Piero della Francesco, Guercino, Velasquez, Gericault, David, Ingres, Ivan Kramskoi, Klimt, as well as the Yugoslav painters Bukovac and Jurkić, exemplify the deep, opaque whites of his journeys through the fairy tale landscapes of Bosnia to the dark, macabre burrows of Srebrenica. Berber was always the chronicler of Bosnia as he indefatigably painted the fragments of his country, reflecting the multi-layered cultural history as well as the complexities of its historical experience.