Sandra Abou Abdo (1981) is an inipndent  artist, professor of fine culture, art educator and pedagogue. She graduated in 2005. In 2013, she received the Rector's Award at the Art Academy of the University of Split in the class of Professor Željko Marović. For years she lived from her work as an independent artist in Trogir where she ran her gallery - atelier, and worked as a professor in state schools, ran art workshops for children, adults, for theatrical purposes and found the Art Association Trogir and actively participated in exhibitions. After successfully completing the residential program "Kunstraum Tapir" in 2013. she moved there the next year. She studied german laguage for four years, In 2022, she finished her education at Deutsche Angestellten-Akademie in Berlin. She also opened her own art busines and works as an art educator. Her inspiration is poetry and nature, she loves flowers, but long hair and hairstyles are her passion. She is a member of HULU Split and professional Association of Berlin Artists.

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Artist statement

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Authenticity on all issues is with intimacy an inseparable whole that forms the base of my work.
The motives I'm working on now are (auto)portraits that serve me in the breakdown of emotions that every human being possesses. The questions I ask myself are general; What's a man? Are we really here or is this all just a dream? It's one deep immersion in my own insides, which I believe can give me answers (or at least part of the answer to these questions). I consider that my pain or joy is equal to the pain or joy of any other being, and the display of those feelings stabilizes the collective consciousness to which we all belong. To see one's own feelings in another is a reflection of one and the same. The interconnectedness of the spirit is essentially my exploration of the primal spiritual dimension in today's hectic and very superficial way of life.
My goal is to reach out to the human inner in my work and to evoke the feeling that they are not alone in their life turmoil.
The combinations of materials are for me as a game where I try to find the perfect composition and bring it as much as I can into balance. My work is full of contradictions: i break the rigid form with an abstract background, I treat the oil paint like watercolor, the backing of my work is the shelves of the wardrobe, and often personal precious items are found on the works. Every key, part of a brick or pebble has its own personal story that becomes part of the story of my artistic work.
My base is mostly wood; as sawdust on canvas or simply insert part of the bark. Each tree is an individual for itself, has its own special scent of resin, it is a source that is constantly renewed and follows us people through the ages. The tree is a primordial symbol of life and our own nature. 

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Solo exhibitions

Vitturi Castle, Kastel Luksic, 2002
Municipality of Okrug, Vijećnica, Okrug Gornji, 2006
Museum of the City of Trogir, 2014  
Salon Galić, Split, 2015
POUMAR Nova Gradiska, online exhibition, 2020. 

Sv. Krsevan, Sibenik, 2021

 

Group exhibitions
House of Culture, Zvonimir, Solin, 20. 03. – 27. 03. 2001.
Vitturi Castle, Kastel Luksic from 21 October 2013 to 31 October 2013 12. 2004. 28, 2015, in New York. 12. 2004.
Genoa, Italy, V. meeting of Mediterranean academies, Commenda di Pre, 2004.
Alba Adriatica, Lions Club, Italy, group exhibition, 2004.
Mimara Museum, Zagreb, Croatian Passion Heritage Group Exhibition, 2005
Student Center, "Demining Croatia", Zagreb, group exhibition, 2005.
Museum of the City of Trogir, group exhibition with students of trogir general gymnasium "Ivan Lucić", 2006.
Salon Galić, Split, group exhibition of final generations students, 10. Anniversary, 2008.
Trogir City Museum, Cate Dujšin Ribar Gallery, joint exhibition of paintings and sculptures of Sandra Radić Parać and Frane Franulović, 2009.
House of Culture, Blato, island Korcula, exhibition of 3 authors (Ljubica Dragojević Buble, Frane Franulović and Sandra Radić Parać), 2009.
Museum of the City of Trogir, Gallery Cate Dujšin Ribar, joint exhibition of the Art Association Trogir , 2010.
Crypt of the Church of the Exaltation of St. Cross, Okrug Gornji, April, 2011. joint exhibition of the Art Association Trogir
Vaterstetten, Germany, Rathaus, joint exhibition of the Art Association Trogir, May, 2011.
Museum of the City of Trogir, Gallery Cate Dujšin Ribar, joint exhibition of the Art Association Trogir , 2012.
Kunstraum Tapir, Berlin, Germany, 2013.
Museum of the City of Trogir, Gallery Cate Dujšin Ribar, joint exhibition of the Art Association Trogir , 2013.
Gallery Sebastijan, St. Vlaho in Contemporary Art, Dubrovnik, 2014.
Diocletian's Cellars, 39th Floor. Split Salon, 2015.
Story Gallery, Samobor, May 4, 2015 /M International Trienale Selfies, 2017.
Perceive Art – Leave a Trail, Zvonimir Gallery, 2018.

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Projects and public works
Aesthetic decoration of the entire café «Smokvica» in Trogir, 2007.
Aesthetic decoration of public space "Haliotis" – Trogir, 2009.
Making a replica of the well in the garden of the restaurant "Trattoria – Tinel", Split, 2013.
Curatorial project by Isabel Manalo, Berlin, 2013.
Hermann Sander Schule Wall Aesthetic Design, Neukolln, Berlin, 2015.

 

Awards and recognitions
rector's award for achievements in the 2003 study. / 2004.
3rd prize for designing the conceptuous solution of the coat of arms and flag of okrug municipality

 

Cooperations
performance by Ivan Tokić in Trogir, Sv. Dominik, 2007, 2008, 2009.
Artist talk, Kunstraum Tapir, Berlin, Germany 2014.
illustratorica for "Portal", school newspaper of gymnasium "Ivan Lucić", Trogir, 1998. /99.
Illustrator for unesco workshop of gymnasium "Ivan Lucić", Trogir, 1998. /99.
Illustrator for "Holon," a post-disciplinary scientific journal, 2014.
Film "Troantico" by Boris Orešić and Darko Mihalić in 2011.

 

Donations
Photo "Christ under the Cross", 100 x 140 cm, oil on canvas, for the church of St. Peter's Exaltation. Križa in Okrug Gornji, 2006.
Painting "Patricia", 100 x 150 cm, oil on canvas, for the Art Academy of the University of Split 2005.

 

Residence
Kunstraum Tapir, Berlin, Germany, 2013.

 

Volunteer work
Kindergarten «Potočnica», Osijek, 2003.
Trogir City Library, 2005.
Kindergarten Trogir, 2014.
Refo Church, working with children and refugees, 2014.
Project Jugendbüro, Youth Theatre, Berlin, since 2012. By 2016, it had been 1.5 years.
Hermann – Sander Grundschule, Berlin, 2015

 

Art Associations
KLU (Kaštela Art Association) "Osvit" since 2000. By 2004, he had been a 10-year-old. (Vice-President and then Secretary)
Secretary of the SKUD (Sports Cultural Arts Society) "Mindula" and head of art workshop for children and adults 2006. and 2007. Year
Founder and first president of the Art Association Trogir, since 2008. By 2009, it had been a very good year for him.

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