Art Colony Pearls of Serbia in Chilandar

For the Serbs Chilandar is more than a laura, a religious monument and the memory of the days of glory.
Chilandar is a holy place on the vertical of history. It is
not only the spiritual ground to which the Serbs set off
full of hope, bearing in mind the fact that it is the place where it has been prayed for the salvation of a man and Serbia for centuries; it is not just the physical space in
the shape of heart dedicated to the Mother of God, with the precious stone in the center, the cathedral and The icon of three-handed Mother of God.

Father Stefan with artists.

For the Serbs Chilandar is the light in the eternal
darkness, honesty and strength which comes before and after everything, the place closest to God. Along with all the spiritual and physical work, prayers and wakes, the Chilandar monks hosted some of our best painters from
1st September 2003. Ten participants of the art colony "Pearls of Serbia", recorded the unordinary life in
Chilandar. They showed the great respect for the holy place in every way.

Monk Metodije welcoming artists.

Aleksandar Lukovic, the oldest participant, immortalized
the well of St. Sava and a monk beating the clapper and calling for the religious service. Branko Miljus, aware of
the spiritual crisis of our time, turned to Christianity.
The central theme of The Epiphany and the other
paintings which he is working on now, is the cross. Slavoljub Cvorovic, using colours and shapes to to show the warmth and modesty of the place and people invites
to a prayer. Vladimir Jankovic, always dedicated to landscapes, painted the gardens around the walls of
the monastery and the yard of Chilandar. Strength, firmness and ascetism of his palette are in accordance
with what he sees, the firmness and determination of
the God`s men. Milan Miletic was preoccupied with
the wall of the church of King Milutin, still nature with iconographic elements of Christianity: Eve`s apple, bread and wine of Evharistia to grapes, the pre-taste of new
life. Ratko Lalic painted one of the miracles of Chilandar - the wine of St. Simon, which exists as long as Chilandar, giving life. The donkey which had carried the miraculous icon of three-handed Mother of God was painted by Milan Stasevic. In his style of "mixed times" he also used the motive from Picasso’s Guernica, the voice against war
and for the love among people. Stanko Zecevic painted
a common man of the people with the rough face and hands, modest and amazed, meeting the sacred man,
the pilgrim to whom the secret of the bread and wine is revealed. Javor Rasajski, in the spirit of his virtuously drawn works, painted the monastery life in a bigger
format. The youngest participant of the colony, Vasa Dolovacki, brings the poetic scene; the small church of
St. Martyr Trivun, situated outside the walls.

Having shown the great respect for Chilandar,
the painters presented it with the most precious part of themselves, the painting which through love, prayers
and respect clears the paths to this holy place.