“Art is a sort of search for me, but it can hardly be explained by definition. What art brings me in life is to reach my full potential as a human being, something that distinguishes us from animals and that gives us a human dimension. Art is a part of all people’s lives because art is woven through everything we do. We cannot avoid it, but very often we do not recognize its value. Through my artistic process, I experienced the value of visualization and imagination. It has also integrated into my daily life, into my thinking and way of working. I want to pass that knowledge and experience on to other people.”

Although she chose art, Mirela has never separated herself from other practices because she believes that people should use everything they know. That is why she will never be just a painter: "I think that in the future we will continue to strive towards studying various disciplines and that there will be some hybrid occupations."

She believes that the key thing when choosing a profession is the strong attraction and curiosity we feel. "I focused on art and I don't think a hundred lives would be long enough to study everything I'm interested in."

According to Mirela, the formal education system is such that it does not allow young people to try different things. After high school, at the age of eighteen, young people have to focus on a certain profession. Mirela believes that, in the context of this topic, more needs to be said about flexibility and change: “My personal opinion is that children and young people should be listened to and given the opportunity to do different things. If I have studied something and invested in something for four or five years, it does not mean that I will do that job for the rest of my life. I think it is necessary to try different things, meet people and develop hobbies until a person decides on something to devote more time to. You shouldn’t limit yourself. "

Mirela points out that she is not an academic painter - everything she learned about painting, she learned on her own. Although there are many realized projects behind her, she considers herself to be at the beginning of her career. It was especially significant for her when she first saw a reproduction of her painting in an American magazine. As she says, she is happy with the small recognitions that show that someone is still following her work.

"I look forward to any type of success, we all love when our work is recognized. Even if we receive criticism, it means that we are noticed "- Mirela adds.

MIRELA IN BOSTON

Mirela says that due to a combination of circumstances, but also due to the desire to study in a longer study program, she moved to Boston, where she has lived since 2014.

From 2014 to 2018, she studied in various art programs at MassArt and Tufts University. Today, Mirela attends lectures as part of the lifelong learning program, ie. Continuing Education program.

So far, she has realized eight solo exhibitions and participated in more than forty group exhibitions. Her work has been published in the American Studio Visit Magazine and Boston Art Review. She was among the six finalists for the Walter Feldman Fellowship Award for Visual Artists.

In addition, Mirela has her own studio in the Boston area where artists can display their work: “Little by little, my life has developed here, but I have strong ties to the Balkans and I can't say that I live only here. I travel a lot and mobility is really needed. "

It was these strong ties with the Balkans and Bosnia and Herzegovina that motivated Mirela to act at multiple addresses. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, she has launched three initiatives aimed at contributing to the development of art and artists.

ACTING ON MULTIPLE ADDRESSES

Mirela dreamed of a different space for the artistic process that would serve for innovative interaction between artists and the local environment, but also for workshops and exhibitions. In 2017, she started the Art Center in Gračanica. The main program offered by the Art Center is an art residency where international artists who come to BiH, transfer their knowledge and present their artistic practice. On the other hand, the artists who come also learn from the local environment, which has its own educational aim, tradition, and habits.

"My wish was to create a space for experimentation and the creation of new experiences. The audience learns from the artist, but the artist also learns from the audience. I am interested in how the audience in BiH would like to participate in cultural production. I think that greater audience involvement would increase the opportunity for innovation in the cultural sector and beyond.“

In addition, Mirela, together with two other colleagues, founded KONTRAST the Association for Culture, which has been organizing and encouraging joint activities of artists for three years.

The third initiative is the Art Forum, which was realized in 2020 in Sarajevo as a pilot project. The Art Forum was conceived as a networking event for artists but also as an opportunity for young artists to experience art production, and faster exchange of knowledge and experiences: "The idea was to integrate two worlds and give young ambitious artists the opportunity to find support which began to be cherished by more experienced artists with their own initiatives. Also, for us artists who are originally from BiH and live outside BiH, the intention was to create a space to get acquainted with the practices of artists living in BiH. “

Mirela points out that a common question she gets is about why she invests so much energy in artistic movements in Bosnia and Herzegovina, even though she has already started developing her career in the United States.

"There is a reason why we were born somewhere. At one point, I felt the need to connect with my roots and get to know what other people were doing."

This reason gives Mirela the desire to be miles away, but still realize her dreams in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to search for the meaning of art and not to pay attention to the definitions and formulas of society.

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