Irena Bijelic Gorenjak

Irena Bijelić Gorenjak (b. 1972, Belgrade, Serbia) I am a contemporary abstract painter and art educator based in Belgrade, Serbia. I am an active member of both major national art institutions: the Association of Fine Artists of Serbia (ULUS) and the Association of Fine Artists of Applied Arts and Designers of Serbia (ULUPUDS). Alongside my studio practice, I have a prominent career in art education, including serving as a Professor of Drawing and Painting at the School for Design in Belgrade and leading numerous contemporary art workshops. I am also the founder of a highly regarded preparatory art program for emerging talent. My artworks are held in numerous private collections both nationally and internationally. I live and work as a full-time independent artist in Belgrade.

My work explores the subtle boundaries between the natural world and fluid abstraction, creating aerial-like earthscapes that appear both familiar and surreal. Inspired by the raw, untamed forces of nature: volcanoes, geothermal springs and mineral deposits. I create imagery that intertwines the physical world with the imagined. Rather than simply reproducing nature, I seek to capture its internal dynamism, tension and unpredictability through rich, organic...

-Degree: MFA in Painting
-Institution: Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia
-Graduation Year: 2001
-Mentorship: Class of Professor Dragan Jovanović
-Professional Pedagogy: Professor of Drawing and Painting at the School for Design, Belgrade (2013–2015). Contemporary Art Workshops Educator and Academic Preparatory Program Founder (2001–Present).

- Solo Exhibitions: 11 solo exhibitions held in established cultural centers and contemporary art galleries across Serbia.

- Group Exhibitions: Participated in more than 40 curated collective exhibitions, juried art salons, and professional national showcases.

- Institutional Membership: Official active member of ULUS (Association of Fine Artists of Serbia) and ULUPUDS (Association of Fine Artists of Applied Arts and Designers of Serbia).