Tatjana Maneva
Macedonia
article about the body of works of Tatjana Maneva,
by professor in esthetics and ethic Kiril Temkov
The City and the Nature
Modern people are alarmed - worried by the rapid growth of cities and the stresses of urban life, craving closeness and spiritual unity with nature. The city is the unique creation of humans, the natural unity of existence. They do not need to contradict each other - they have to understand each other. The great artist Tanja Maneva with her brilliant talent has shown not only how much these two subjects are close to her heart, but also how much she is inspired as an artist by them. She prefers these themes and in her art she gives a refined vision of them.
Tanja connects East and West, art and philosophy, painting and graphic art. Her art - which already constitutes an important collection - enters into all pores and spheres of life. She openly offers the fantastic unity of the city and nature. Her art is full of urban landscapes – they open aspects of visions of the city; they praise nature; strange natural entities spring out of them; female acts are captivating.
The megalopolis looms over on us, but we cannot survive without the natural world. The centuries go fast, but they meet in the recent reality of time, as in ours. The forms and colours are eternal, the subjects transcend limited minds. But Tanja shows how in life all is Unity. Unveiling meaning she renders buildings in sections and the varied structure of trees, the day and night light of the neighbourhood and the widespread of the natural world, Ideas and content, craft and form act together in Maneva’s art.
In the paintings and the graphic art of Tanja Maneva, the worlds of humans and nature are united. It reminds us of the story of Chuang Tzu, one of the most beautiful stories ever told on understanding the life and the world: the butterfly asks herself whether she is alive and dreaming about beauty or if she is dreaming and living in beauty. Tanja Maneva with her art is telling us that there is no difference - only real togetherness."
Kiril Temkov
Tatjana Maneva was born 1978 in Bitola. Graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Skopje in 2002. In 2004 she obtains an MA degree of Graphic Arts with Graphic Design.
INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS
“Sign’s Metamorphosis” Art Gallery - Bitola, 2002
“Letters, Signs, Symbols” DLUM - Skopje, 2004
“Ne Lisez Pas” Cite Des Arts, Paris, 2005
“Butterfield 12” Blue Café, Skopje, 2005
“Butterfield 12” Gallery of DLUB, Bitola, 2005
“Embroideress” Cultural Centre - Gostivar, 2006
“Embroideress” Art Gallery - Stip, 2006
“Embroideress” National Gallery - Cifte amam Skopje, 2006
“Pictures from Paris” National Gallery - Mala stanica, Skopje, 2007
“Mitologijada” Museum of the City of Skopje, 2007
“Mitologijada” Gallery Art Podgorica, 2009
“Mitologijada” Museum Gallery - Tivat, 2009
“Chinese zodiac” Cultural and information Centre - Skopje, 2008
“Spiritual Gold” Prima Center, Berlin, 2009
“Ethno Graphics” Open Graphic Studio, Skopje, 2010
“Four Seasons” Macedonian Opera and Ballet, Skopje, 2011
“Four Seasons” Santa Marija, Budva, 2011
“An Undiscovered world” Daut Pasha Amam, Skopje, 2011
“Nature & The City” Cultural and information centre – Skopje, 2013
“Nature & The City” Cultural Center – Negotino, 2013
AWARDS
Purchase prize - International print biennial, Seoul, South Korea, 2006
Young author prize - International triennial of graphic art, Bitola, Macedonia, 2009
Young author award - World gallery of art on paper- Osten, Skopje, Macedonia, 2010 Honourable mention - International graphic print biennial, Bharat Bhavan, India, 2011
Equal Prize – International triennial of graphic art, Bitola, Macedonia, 2012