Tonight, the International exhibition “The most beautiful icon in the world” will be opened in Bijeljina. The international competition for selecting the most beautiful small-format icon was organized by the Association of Fine Artists and Designers “Odigitria” with the blessing of the Metropolitan of Zvornik-Tuzla, Fotije. A total of 608 works were submitted to the competition, and the exhibition features the 50 highest-rated pieces.
Jovana Mićanović developed a passion for icon painting as a girl in elementary school. Talent, will, and faith guided her to success in the world of iconography. She submitted a work dedicated to Saint Flavian of Carthage, whose relics are kept in the Lesje Monastery in Serbia.
“Icon painting truly carries a great calling, and behind it stands a great responsibility for the iconographer to behave accordingly, to follow that spiritual elevation, to follow the Lord, to always be present, and for prayer to always be present,” said iconographer Jelena Mićanović.
Hundreds of icon painters responded to the invitation of the Odigitria Association for the selection of the most beautiful small-format icon, measuring up to 20 by 20 centimeters. The competition’s guidelines stipulated that the icon must be in the traditional style but also contain the artist’s original personal touch.
“Of course, this implies that ‘the most beautiful’ means, in the Platonic sense, equating good with beauty, then in the sense of conveying a certain truth through the image, and in the end, we decided that the criterion should be that, alongside mastering traditional models of ecclesiastical art, the work carries within it the seed of development in church art,” said academic painter and art historian Goran Janićijević.
The exhibition, featuring the 50 best works, will be open until August 30 at the Odigitria Association’s Art Gallery.
Source: RTRS
