Ivana Starcevic is a contemporary expressionistic painter currently residing and working in Albuquerque and Corrales, New Mexico. She has long sought to capture “the spirit of place” in her artwork, finding inspiration from not only her current surroundings but also her fragmented memories of her youth in Europe.
From the age of four, Starcevic knew she wanted to be an artist. She earned a BFA in Ceramics and Studio Art and an MFA in Mixed Media from the Academy of Applied Arts University in Belgrade and completed postgraduate work in printmaking at the University of New Mexico. While enjoying a 20-year career as the Creative Director for a Fortune 500 company focused on technology and innovation in customized training and digital communications, Starcevic remained connected to the art world through her work as a rescue animal photographer and photo contributor to Getty/iStock. Now retired from the corporate world, she plays daily with rhythmic layers of vivid acrylics and oils, energetically exploring creative interpretations of reality on canvas.
Starcevic’s work, described by one critic as “unshakably cosmopolitan, irreversibly modern and strikingly innovative,” has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and her pieces are held in both public and private collections. In 2021, the City of Albuquerque purchased one of her large paintings for its “Art in Public Spaces” program.
Artist Statement
My paintings focus primarily on the landscape, told through the language of abstraction. I’m fortunate to live in a beautiful setting, with breathtaking views of the Sandia Mountains. The ever-changing colors of the sky and the wild and enchanting New Mexico terrain are powerful visual stimulations that continually find their way onto my canvases. My paintings are rich in color, verve and motion, whether interpreting raw landscape, radiant light or the brilliant colors of the New Mexico sky. My current large-scale work, inspired by southwestern hues and views, is usually painted from memory, guided by intuition and fueled by imagination. With a bold style and sometimes raw approach, my curiosity and passion infuse my paintings.
I explore color, shape, texture, composition and mark-making to create alternate and imaginative views of reality. My process is usually built on intuition guided by bold colors and wide brush strokes. When painting, I feel driven and willing to take risks. I hope viewers find themselves intrigued with and immersed within each landscape, with a sense of curiosity, wonder and discovery.
