Bio
Born in the former Yugoslavia in 1950, Milos Milidrag graduated from the University Of Belgrade with a Master of Fine Arts and taught at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Pristine in Kosovo. Having lived in Winnipeg since 1997, he became a Canadian citizen in 2000. He has exhibited locally in over 100 group and 12 major individual shows as well as internationally. Over the years he has worked from a minimalist style to a more expressive one, reminiscent of Fauvism and expressionism.
Art is an expression of Milidrag’s world. He uses his paint brush to deal with the trauma and hardships he faced during the war in the former Yugoslavia, with an emphasis on the day to day struggle of finding a place for himself in the artistic life of North America. These, his most recent works, are inspired by Inuit art. Milos’ painting has been supported by Winnipeg Arts Council.
Has been living in Winnipeg since 1997 and became a Canadian citizen in the year 2000.
Until 1997, lectured fresco and mosaic at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Pristine, Kosovo.
Was a member of the Association of Fine Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Association of Fine Arts of Serbia.
Exhibited in 13 major individual (4 in Canada - Main/Access Gallery, Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain, Site Gallery and Piano Nobile Gallery) and over 100 group shows.
Recipient of several artistic awards in his ex-homeland.
His work has been supported by the Winnipeg Arts Advisory Council.
Profile
Artist with 40 years of experience
Assistant Professor for over 10 years
Member of Association of Fine Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Member of Association of Fine Arts of Serbia
Exhibited in 30 major individual and over 200 group exhibits
Recipient of 3 major prizes for artistic work in former homeland and four grants from Winnipeg Arts Advisory Council and Manitoba Arts Council
Experience
2009/2010-Visiting Professor of painting, Fine Art School, University of East Sarajevo, Bosnia
1997-present Freelance artist in Canada
1992-1997 Assistant Professor of fresco painting and mosaic, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Pristina, Serbia
1987-1992 Instructor, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Pristina, Serbia
1978-1984 Freelance artist
Education
1986 Masters of Fine Arts, University of Belgrade
1978 Bachelor’s of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo
Exhibitions
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2014, "Forgotten Flowers", Gurevich Fine Art, Winnipeg, MB
2013 Berlin, Prima Center Gallery. Germany
2012 Petrovac, Marko K.Gregovic Gallery, Montenegro Nis, Gallery of Cultural Centre, Serbia
2011 Krakow, Galeria Grodzka, Poland, Winnipeg, Gurevich Fine Art, MB, Canada, Kraljevo, Gallery V. Marzik, Serbia
2010 Winnipeg, McNally Robinson Booksellers Gallery; Paracin, Gallery of Cultural Centre, Serbia
2009 Winnipeg, Ken Segal Gallery, Canada; Ohrid Cultural Centre Grigor Prilicev, Macedonia; Herceg Novi, Josip-Bepo Benkovic Gallery, Montenegro; Sombor, Cultural Center Gallery Laza Kostic, Serbia
2008 Kragujevac, The Bridges of The Balkans Art Gallery, Serbia; Budva, The Modern Gallery, Montenegro
2007 Winnipeg, Ken Segal Gallery, Canada
2005 Winnipeg, Ken Segal Gallery, Canada; Winnipeg, Site Gallery (with Eva Tarsia), Canada
2003 Winnipeg, Piano Nobile Gallery, Canada
2002 Winnipeg, Site Gallery, Canada
2000 Winnipeg, Main/Access Gallery, Canada; Winnipeg, Centre culturel franco-manitobain (with Andrew Giffin), Canada
1997 Niksic, Art Gallery Nikola I, Montenegro; Herceg Novi, Art Gallery Josip-Bepo Benkovic, Montenegro; Bar, Velimir A. Lekovic Art Gallery, Montenegro
1995 Belgrade, Cultural Center Gallery, Serbia
1994 Kragujevac, National Museum, Serbia
1990 Sarajevo, Art Gallery Roman Petrovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Pristina, Art Gallery, Kosovo
Selected Group Exhibitions
From 2010 to present permanently represented by Gurevich Fine Art
2013 Majdanpek, IV International Exhibition Art in Miniature,Gallery of Cultural Center, Serbija
2011 Tuzla, VI International Biennal of Miniature, Bosnian Cultural Center, Bosnia and Herzegovina
From 2004-2010, represented by Ken Segal Gallery, Winnipeg
2010 Gornji Milanovac, Serbia, 10th International Biennial of Miniature Art
2010 Smederevo, Serbia, 7th Biennial of Fine Arts
2009 Kovin, Serbia, Art Salon October 2009
2009 Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia, Art Gallery Lazar Vozarevic
2008 Gornji Milanovac, Serbia, 9th International Biennial of Miniature Art; Kovin, Serbia, Art Salon October
2007 Kovin, Serbia, Art salon October; Bar, Montenegro, Balkans Link, Art Gallery Velimir A. Lekovic; Paracin, Serbija, Paintings, Cultural Center Art Gallery
2006 Kovin, Serbia, Art salon “October”
2005 Winnipeg, Fabulous Fakes With a Twist, Plug In Gallery, Winnipeg; Smederevska Palanka, Serbia, Shumadian Visual Artist, National Museum; Niksic, Montenegro, Shumadian Visual Artists, Gallery; Nikola I Podgorica, Montenegro, Shumadian Visual Artists, Center for Contemporary Art; Mladenovac, Serbia, Shumadian Visual Artists, Cultural Center Gallery; Gornji Milanovac, Serbia, Shumadian Visual Artists, Cultural Center Gallery
From 2000 to 2006, regularly exhibited in all group exhibitions at Site Gallery, Winnipeg
2004 Arandjelovac, Serbia, Shumadian Visual ArtistsThe Museum of Arandjelovac; Novi Pazar, Serbia, Shumadian Visual Artists Gallery Sopocanska Vidjenja Sveti Stefan, Montenegro, Shumadian Visual Artists Art Gallery Sveti Stefan Despotovac, Serbia, Shumadian Visual Artists Cultural Center Gallery Krusevac, Serbia, Shumadian Visual Artists National Museum Art Gallery
2003 Novi Sad, Serbia , The exhibition of paintings and Prints of ULUS members for Shumadian region. Gallery ULUV Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia, The exhibition of Paintings and prints of ULUS members for Shumadian region Gallery Zavicajni Muzej
2001 Winnipeg, Grand Jury VI, Winnipeg Art Gallery
1999 Winnipeg, Grand Jury V, Winnipeg Art Gallery
1997 Zrenjanin, Serbia, Third Biennale of Watercolor
1996 Belgrade, Serbia, 37th October Saloon, Museum of May 25th Pristina, Kosovo, November Saloon, Art Gallery Boro & Ramiz
1994 Herceg Novi, Montenegro, Group 18-18, Art Gallery Josip-Bepo Benkovic Uzice, Serbia, Group 18-18, City Gallery Cacak, Serbia, Group 18-18, Cultural Center
1993 Kragujevac, Serbia, Group 18-18, National Museum’s Art Gallery Bar, Montenegro, Group 18-18, Velimir A. Lekovic Art Gallery Kotor, Montenegro, Group 18-18, Cultural Center
1992 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Collegium Artisticum 92, Gallery Collegium Artistcum
1991 Herceg Novi, Montenegro,XXIX Winter Saloon, Art Gallery Josip-Bepo Benkovic Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Collegium Artisticum 91, Gallery Collegium Artisticum Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milenko Atanackovic Art Gallery Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 45 Years of ULUBIH, Gallery Collegium Artisticum
1990 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Collegium Artisticum 90 Gallery Collegium Artisticum Zagreb, Croatia, The Exhibition of the Society of Visual Artists of Sarajevo, Karas Art Gallery Subotica, Serbia, XXIX Artistic Autumn, Artistic Summit Gallery
1989 Dubrovnik, Croatia, The Exhibition of the Society of Visual Artists Of Sarajevo, City Art Gallery Podgorica, Montenegro, The Exhibition of the Society of Visual Artists of Sarajevo, Art Pavilion Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, The Exhibition of the Society of Visual Artists of Sarajevo, Collegium Artisticum Gallery Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Collegium Artisticum 89, Collegium Artisticum Gallery Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Yugoslavian Documents 89, Collegium Artisticum Gallery Sombor, Serbia, XXIX Artistic Autumn, Artistic Autumn Gallery
1988 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Collegium Artisticum 88, Collegium Artisticum Gallery
Work in Residence
2007 Serbia, 15th International Art Colony Resava
1997 Pale, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Pale 97
1996 Topola, Serbia and Montenegro, Karadjordjevic Foundation
Grants
2007 Manitoba Arts Council, Travel Grant
2007 Winnipeg Arts Advisory Council, Travel Grant
2002 Winnipeg Art Advisory Council, Grant for Visual Arts
2000 Winnipeg Art Advisory Council, Grant for Visual Arts
1991 Milenko Atanackovic Art Gallery Award
1990 Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina Award
1983 Zagreb, ZGRAF Award for Graphic Design
Collections
The Government of Manitoba Art Collection
National Museum’s collection, Kragujevac- Serbia
Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s collection
Art collection of The Modern Gallery, Budva, Montenegro
Art collection of Art Gallery Nikola I, Niksic, Montenegro
Art collection of Art gallery Milenko Atanackovic, Bijaljina, Bosna and
Herzegovina
Numerous private collections in former Yugoslavia as well as in
Canada, USA and Australia
Selected Bibliography
Alison Mayes, “Shamans and Savages” Winnipeg Free Press, December 15, 2011
Leah Werier:”A Rainbow of Chaos”,The Manitoban,September 23, 2009
Lorne Roberts: “Milidrag exhibit recalls second-hand effects of war” Winnipeg Free Press,May10, 2007
Dyane Cameron:”Colour in Paradise Review”, Carnet,Winter 2005
Lorne Roberts: “Skilled Professional Making Local Name” Winnipeg Free Press, April 28, 2005
Zdravko Vucinic, art critic, the catalogue text from the “Shumadian Visual Artists” Exhibition, Museum of Arandjelovac and Sveti Stefan Art Gallery,2004
Stephen Phelps, the curator of Main/ Access Gallery: the catalogue text from exhibition at the aforementioned gallery, October 22-November 25, 2000
Morley Walker: “Paintings draw on Yugoslavian roots”, Winnipeg Free Press, October 21, 2000
Janet Ringer: The Arts Report-CBC Radio, Canada, November 17, 2000
Lisa Young-Kutsukake: “Transcending Tradition”, Style Manitoba, Fall 1999.
Deborah Clark:”Two Men, One Mind”, Uptown, July 29, 1999
Danka Damjanovic, chief curator of Serbian Gallery in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina,: Extract from the book “Painted by the Quill” Artprint, Banja Luka, 2000; Preface to catalogue from solo exhibition in Niksic, Herceg Novi and Bar,1997
Sreto Bosnjak, art critic: preface to catalogue from solo exhibition at the Cultural Center in Belgrade 1995
Mihajlo Kandic, art critic: text from “Artistic Life” magazine issue 49/50, Belgrade 1994.
Meliha Husedzinovic, chief curator of Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina: text from catalogue from XXIV Winter Saloon in Herceg Novi 1991.
Kosta Bogdanovic: sculptor and historian of modern art: preface to catalogue from solo exhibition at the Art Gallery Roman Petrovic 1990,
Nermina Kurspahic, art historian and critic: “The Connection between knowledge and Energy”, article in “Oslobodjenje” from 1990
Television
2009 September, Shaw Cable TV – Interview and Feature on the show at Ken Segal Gallery September, CBC News – Feature on the show at Ken Segal Gallery
2002 October, A-Channel News-Wired (On the solo exhibition at Site Gallery)
2001 November, A-Channel News-Wired (On the solo exhibition at the centre cultural franco-manitobain)
2000 October 22, CKY-5 News (On the solo exhibition at the Main/Access Gallery)
2000 October, A-Channel News-Wired (On the solo exhibition at the Main/Access Gallery)
1997 June, TV-Niksic (Interview on the solo exhibition at the Nikola I Gallery)
1995 October 16, Studio B News, TV-Belgrade I The Morning Show (On the solo exhibition at the Belgrade Cultural Center Gallery)
1994 March 25, TV-Kragujevac Channel 9 (On the solo exhibition at the National Museum of Kragujevac)
1990 September, RTV-Sarajevo TV-News (On the solo exhibition at the Roman Petrovic Gallery, author of the article: Fikret Novalija)