War and Piece: An art exhibit by Sadko Hadzihasanovic

Sadko Hadzihasanovic grew up in Bosnia, with a childhood shaped by the conflicts there. This series, War and Piece, alternates scenes of conflict or military tropes with pastoral or Arcadian images of peacetime. It also reflects on moments of peace within times of conflict, such as soldiers sharing a meal together.

The ferocity of war and its aftermath in a society does not end at a specific time but runs through the history. For a long time, artists keep reflecting the terrors, humiliations and frustrations caused by wars in diverse forms of art. War is something that has always had a significant impact in the world of art and especially on the art of its survivors.

With the ever-present looming of the next war in the future, we try to patch up traumas from the last one and also enjoy the present moments of peace. The difficult and daunting task of raising a new generation on the postulates of peace is our most important role.

The exhibit will run from January 25, 2024 to March 29, 2024. Please join us for an opening reception that will be held January 25 from 5 – 7 p.m. in the Redeemer Art Gallery.

An artist talk will be held on February 13 from 2 – 3 p.m. in the Executive Dining Room. Participate via Zoom. (Meeting ID: 879 4387 4059, Passcode: 430259)

Sadko Hadzihasanovic studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade and earned his MFA at the University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia (1984). His first solo exhibitions were at the Museum of Modern Art in Belgrade (1983) and at the National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1984), both while still a student. Since his arrival in Toronto from Bosnia in late 1992, Sadko has participated in over seventy exhibitions in public galleries and artist-run centres across Canada and has produced numerous portrait commissions. He is the recipient of visual arts grants from the Toronto Arts Council, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Canada Council for the Arts and has instructed at Georgian College, the University of Guelph, the Koffler Centre and the Avenue Road Arts School. Sadko has been exhibiting at Paul Petro Contemporary Art since 1999.