Interview. Marko Djurdjevic
When did you start working on your own as an autodidact? And how did you manage to reach such a level in technique, especially with oil paints, which aren’t as easy to handle as other materials? Were there people who supported you during that phase?
Well, for me, it really started when I began drawing at age five, and already painting around the age of ten. I started very early to get interested in painting, especially with oils. I had tried acrylics, but acrylic dried too fast for me; I always felt pressured to finish a painting in one day. Oil, on the other hand, was more luminous, and I could experiment more. That’s how I got started with oil painting.
I started painting in oil when I was ten. I had already won my first school competitions, which gave me valuable feedback and showed that I enjoyed this direction. I often included world-political themes in my paintings when I was younger. My visual language wasn’t as “gentle” as it is now; it was all a bit more intense. I never wanted to work abstractly. It was always figurative, often with human figures. That always attracted me.
How about the title of your solo exhibition, “am weg” (English version: On the Path)? It sounds very fragmentary, like a short moment within your larger thoughts. What does the title mean to you?
My gallerist, Nina Katschnig, and I chose On the Path because I feel I’m still at the beginning of my path. We wanted to communicate that idea to the audience, to show where the path might lead, even if it’s open-ended. The title invites viewers to accompany the journey of a young artist. I think the title is powerful because it leaves room for interpretation. That’s also why the main painting includes my dog. He accompanies me in the landscapes I paint in my studio; he’s part of my journey.
So your dog accompanies you on your path, offering new perspectives. What path are you on right now?
For me, it’s an exciting time. I do what brings me joy, not what creates pressure. I let the path unfold naturally—I move forward positively, stay curious, and work diligently. Many things come on their own, and I allow them to happen. Time is limited. If I restrict myself and say, “This is the only path I’ll take,” I lose freedom. I consciously keep everything open. It makes me freer, also in art, working with different media means I’m not confined. I paint, and I sculpt, depending on what I feel like. I’m free in my expression.
Speaking of freedom, let’s talk about color. Since 2020, blue has been the dominant color in your work. What significance does this color hold for you? Do you remember your first work with this color—and how it made you feel at the time?
Blue is a filter color for me. When I see blue, I think of the sky or water, things that are beautiful to me. I had more time to be creative and reflect. I journal and worked through my autobiographical past, especially my childhood. I wanted to find something that would direct focus to the subject without distraction. Blue filters both positive and negative experiences. It’s like a neutral layer that presents experience objectively. In my works, landscapes, biographical scenes, and sculptures, blue depicts my experiences. Blue is like a diary of my blue world.
The exhibition presents a collection of autobiographical images and landscapes as snapshots in time. Your past forms the central basis of your autobiographical works. Do you like to talk about it, or do you prefer to let your work speak for itself?
The exhibition presents a composition of autobiographical landscapes, snapshots of the past, which form the central foundation of my art. I’ll talk about them if people ask openly. The older I get, the more I let the images speak for themselves. I want viewers to feel the emotions I’ve felt.
Can you describe your thoughts in more detail on the painting “Raised in the shadow”?
“Raised in the shadow” is interesting because it goes back to my time in the children’s home. There was a flock of sheep owned by the caretaker. There was one lamb named Maggie, rejected by its mother, which reflects me in the painting. I was very close to Maggie; she was my best friend and seemed to sense that I’d been separated from my parents. Animals gave me the warmth I didn’t get from people. Animals are an important part of my work. The building in the background is the home, which I intentionally painted like a fortress; it was actually an old monastery. I never felt comfortable there, so I wanted to express this feeling of isolation.
How do impulses for your autobiographical works arise, and how do you transform them into art?
Impulses come from dreams, from experiences—sometimes I process them years later. I start with sketches, sometimes I go straight to the canvas. It’s like a diary that absorbs experience. A painting can take a year to mature before I finish it. I always say these large works are like puzzle pieces. Bit by bit, everything comes together. When the puzzle feels complete, I go to the studio and paint.
Do you keep a sketchbook or diary for your thoughts?
I write in a diary every day. Sometimes it’s empty or has a few entries, but I keep the routine. I have been doing it since I was twelve. I still have almost all of them, and I check them regularly. I also still write letters. Reading them years later brings back the same emotions, which never happens with apps such as WhatsApp. I have my journal and sketchbook separated. In the diary, it is only text. In the sketchbook, only sketches. I don’t make that many, though—often I work directly on the canvas. Some ideas or dreams take time to ripen, like the painting “Blue Happiness.”
How long does it usually take you to complete a painting?
It depends. The landscapes are quicker and keep me grounded. When I work autobiographically, I feel melancholy and wistfulness, but the landscapes give me a sense of freedom and lightness.
Do you paint your landscapes also on-site?
Yes, many are painted directly in nature, up to 1,40 by 2,30 meters, depending on effort. Smaller formats, about 75 × 55 cm, are easier outside. My studio is only a few minutes away, which helps.
Do the sketches then serve as preparation for the final works?
Sometimes the finished pieces come right from the sketches, sometimes from direct observation. I love walking in the evenings, especially during a full moon, and those impressions flow into the paintings. My landscapes are always full of light, even when painted at night; moonlight gives them that. My life has often been dark and difficult, but I paint in a positive light. The light in the picture symbolizes hope; it pulls me toward optimism.
You’ve also used Paulownia wood in your sculptures. Was that a conceptual choice or a coincidence?
Coincidence. I didn’t even know that tree existed before. It just happened positively, not by design. I wanted to incorporate my abstract silhouettes into the sculptures. A friend got me access to a traditional lathe. Bit by bit, I carved my silhouettes into the wood. I let the blue color soak into the tree, sanding it down to reveal the wood’s annual rings. Those rings symbolize growth, which connects to my line and silhouette work. I even integrated natural elements, such as woodpecker holes.
And what about the woodcuts you did? How was the process?
I bought an old printing press from Germany; it’s 75 years old. Each woodcut is unique; each print is one of a kind. I’m not interested in editions; each print can look different, and that inspires me. The technique is traditional, and I love combining craft with creativity.
Since autumn 2025, you’ve been represented by a gallery. How has that collaboration been?
I have great trust in my gallerist, Nina Katschnig. Our collaboration works because the connection is human.
Also fitting for your exhibition: In one month, on April 4th, you’ll be turning 25. How would you like to spend that day? Is there anything you particularly enjoy doing on your birthday?
For me, working is a reward in itself. I see my birthday as just another day—I live a privileged life, doing what I love.
Your exhibition will be on display until May 22, 2026. Will there be any related events during that time?
There is a curator’s tour on March 15, and I’ll be joining it as well. And the official Finissage is on 20. May at 7 PM.
Solo exhibition: Marko Djurdjevic – am weg
Exhibition duration: 12 February- 22 May 2026
Finissage: 20 May 2026 at 7 PM
Address and contact:
galerie gugging
Am Campus 2
3400 Maria Gugging, Klosterneuburg
www.galeriegugging.com
Marko Djurdjevic – www.galeriegugging.com/kuenstler/marko-djurdjevic, www.instagram.com/markodjurdjevic
Marko Djurdjevic (born 2001 in Vienna, Austria) is self-taught in painting and later also in woodcut printing. Djurdjevic came to the Klosterneuburg children’s home at the age of five and lived there until he was eighteen. Many of his autobiographical works refer to this period. For Marko Djurdjevic, the color blue — which is central to his oil paintings, woodcuts, and wood sculptures — is not only his favorite color but also a source of strength that allows him to confront past events and process them in his art. In 2022, he was awarded the Klosterneuburg Culture Promotion Prize. Djurdjevic’s works can be found in the Diamond Collection, the collection of Stift Klosterneuburg, the State Collections of Lower Austria, and numerous private collections.
