Version 1 Painting

Lucija Zaja is a Sydney-based abstract painter. In her work, Lucija is dedicated to exploring her mental landscape, her history and upbringing, the chaos and constant change that is life. She is on the path of understanding herself and the world primarily through accepting all the experiences that shaped her life thus far. The analytical process is what she draws her inspiration from: analysing her own dualities and the duality of all life. It is the never-ending quest to understand the relationship between chaos and order, anger and accepting, frustration and peace, hurt and love, mind and body. On a more personal level, it is understanding the family we were born into and our chosen family, our upbringing and how we rebel against it, the cities that left us with scars and the ones that gave us hope. What does it mean to live in the moment, and not get overwhelmed by it all? All of these polarities transpire through Lucija’s work: delicate brushstrokes and gentle colours are opposed to tougher pencil and pastel lines, forming captivating visual representations of Lucija’s inner states. It shows the unpredictability of intense emotions and instincts juxtaposed to mundane requirements of everyday existence. The techniques Lucija uses are representing her different emotional patterns and experiences. She uses acrylic paint, soft pastel, pencil, coloured pencils, acrylic markers and torn collage. Her childhood and some experiences led her to exploration of spirituality and expression through art. She first started painting as a way of coping with her high sensitivity to the environment and living in a country she felt didn’t support her as a soulful and sensitive human being. She decided not to settle with these circumstances and moved from her hometown Zagreb to Berlin. Berlin had a powerful influence during her twenties: its freedom of expression for everyone, its playfulness and rebellious history were a source of inspiration and a perfect environment for Lucija’s furter growth as an artist and individual. But the urge to move and change was again stronger than settling down. She moved to Sydney, where she is currently living the next chapter of her life. When she is not painting, Lucija is exploring Australia with her husband. She loves to practice yoga and meditation, hang out with animals and houseplants, eat vegan delicacies and observe nature.