'VISION' Painting

Vinko Kalcic is an internationally acclaimed artist based in London. Born in Yugoslavia, he began drawing as a young child, creating colourful cartoon-like works inspired by comic books characters like Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Popeye, Tom and Jerry, Batman and Superman. Cartoons like Looney Tunes, Woody Woodpecker, and Hanna-Barbera fuelled his vivid imagination. At eighteen he began to paint in the colourful, frank style of Naïve Art. One year later he sold his first painting. This was the beginning of a career that would take him across the world, exploring the many facets of the Art world, from photography to music and beyond. The young artist’s career launched with successful exhibitions throughout Italy including in Milan, Rome, Turin, Venice, Udine, Trieste, Como etc. and later across Europe in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Formal education followed, primarily in Fine Art/Design but in later years his dedication to artistic and personal development would lead to studies in Multimedia, Digital Compositing for Film/Video in London’s Escape Studios and Creative Studies in Queen’s University, Belfast. In 1991, the bloodiest interethnic conflict in Europe since the Second World War broke out in Yugoslavia. Vinko a passionate pacifist believing that the value of human life is so high that nothing can justify killing a person, he with his family was forced under threat to flee the country to save their lives. Their friend in Northern Ireland/UK offered their home and safety and they emigrated. Vinko forged soon after connections and friendships with many like-minded artists, most notably the renowned singer-songwriter Tommy Sands. Tommy’s compassionate nature and innate talent are matched only by his dedication to peace activism. Music, art and antiwar movement forged a beautiful friendship. Vinko had a chance and privilege to work with him on a number of music and peace projects. Vinko became profoundly aware of the need for healing. His family history bore the deep wounds of personal tragedy during the Second World War. The healing nature of Art is a concept that has echoed throughout Vinko’s work.  The opportunity to put this concept into action came with his involvement in a cross-community outreach project facilitated by the Northern Ireland Peace & Reconciliation Board. Working with Tom Newman, acclaimed producer/engineer of Mike Oldfield's legendary Tubular Bells'.