“The diversity of the world cannot be overcome in a political system; whoever tried to do that only produced tyranny and misery. The richness of plurality and diversity will only be increased in the future. All the European and world organizations are not enough, and cannot be effective if not inspired by the universal spirit and consciousness nourished by science and art.”     Ivan Supek, 1995.

“A sailor’s joys are as simple as a child’s.”   Bernard Moitessier

° Akan language 

Wise person plays stupid only to reveal the true character of a person or a situation.

10s live simple.

Life of 10 has no home. It lacks supporting family and thus other connections. 10 had a fucked up life from the start and the passing years were all about the change, from a victim to a fighter, then from a warrior to a pioneer.

10 has one, maybe two true friends and tons of acquaintances. 10 inspires others but more often it’s the one others are very envious about. 10 easily reveals human’s polarity: either it’s easiest to hate or easiest to love. 10 doesn’t care about other opinions or actions; it knows way upfront when it’ll be misjudged or misused. 10 knows how to be alone and is not afraid, alone turned into whole in one.

The 10s are 100%  self reliant and are free from cloned social etiquettes. They continually evolve without disturbing the balance within oneself. 10s lose early their family ties, often not by their choice but the life set it that way long time ago. Social isolation for 10s is an inevitable, painful, reoccurring phenomena. After end of each ‘isolation’, 10s are reaching their full capacity and are bond to move upwards. Once the process has started it cannot be stopped.

It’s very rare that two 10s meet and fall in love. If it does happen, than it’s a natural phenomena.

“There are only two types of women: the goddesses and the doormats.”  Pablo Picasso

           “This is the most important Picasso after the war,” Olivier Camu

No further comment.

I talk to my father on the phone, usually in the evening. He lost everything in material and social sense. When I came to visit him I caught myself pondering about taking photos of ‘his’ home (now owned by the bank) to document the horror he is living in. Yet he is alive and he doesn’t want to give up.  He also has a daughter who is turning into graphene and has a good sense of humor.

His father was born and raised in 16th century fort Stari Grad. My grandfather’s family was the richest family in Sisak at that time. After ww2 the nationalization came in place; grandfather had to leave his home that then became the ownership of the state. In exchange the town offered him a beautiful big house in the center that he refused with simple words ‘How can you expect from me to live in someone’s family home?‘ The house belonged to Jewish family that left Sisak during the ww2.

He chose a tiny house, with no sewerage system in place, yet with a small piece of land. Grandma was furious.

Mirko Gulan planted apple and pear trees in his new land. Then he got apiary and turned into beekeeper. He would sometime take his bees to the island of Hvar so they could feast on lovely lavender. Not once in his life was he bitten by the bees. Heh, the Wachowskis might be right when they came up with the sentence ‘bees can sense royalty.‘  In 1964 he engaged himself into silk screen printing which my father later turned into offset printing.

My grandfather Mirko died of heart when I was 11. He passed on me something I cannot explain. Something zen like, something ‘royal’, even something Monty Python like.

Tonight I told my father he needs to buckle up. I had to remind him of his beloved dad and the way he handled worthless situations. Being ‘royal’ is being respectful towards oneself, others, to life itself. Person who commits suicide cause of loss of material wealth is a very sad and constrained person. For the lack of a better word, a useless person.

Each person carries responsibility to expand own potential and live life accordingly. This process is challenging, sometimes solitary, transforming, painful once in a while. It is so fantastically oddly rewarding that for me there is no other way nor time.

Keep moving forward. Painting too. North. Yes.

“People who don’t work with their hands are parasites.”   Jure Maslać

my grandpa – dad

my humble superstition is zen buddhism + science + art

hero town: VUKOWAR / 155x93cm / oil on canvas / 2011

some wounds heal.

some wounds heal leaving unforgettable scar.

some wounds never heal. 

today is a very sad day.

i was 13 when the unthinkable started. the terrorist ‘jugoslav’ army, which i used to admire as a young pionir, turned into our worst night mare when they turned their weapons on civilians. during 87 days of siege they wished to erase the spirit of Vukovar.

i remember crying a lot and often. i remember my new friends that have spent months in a basement due to bombing. i remember people becoming more and more silent…

time for being just a kid was over. teenage years vanished. life, as we all knew it evaporated in a second. nothing will ever be the same.

i started to draw in this period, desperately needing a world to hide in, a world where i can see some light.

massacre…who would have ever thought, who would have ever thought, who would have ever thought…

today, i’m very sad.