I am here to feel.
I am here to live.
I am here to feel it all and I am here to live it all.
I am here.
This is a short photo-illustrated story of a project I started working on in the middle of summer last year, but had to postpone final production due to what we know.
Still the thought of it all; my sadness and disappointment with the situation wouldn’t let me just rest, so I had to do something about it. I had to turn it into something positive after all.
So I pulled out one set of my prepared upcycled outfits and my camera and set my emotions free.
I will share with you more when the time comes, for now I will take you on this short photographed series made in collaboration with Jovana Đukić; a talented illustrator who added a little bit of her own charm to the story, that will be continued soon.
And I can’t wait for more to follow.
*I met Jovana around two years ago and I was instantly amazed by her work; her style of illustration and her creative thinking. In her work I can feel joy and freedom, I am at peace. Her lovely women give me courage and motivation.
With love,
Morja
JOVANA //
I’ve been following Zala’s work for a few years now and not long ago, thanks to Zala, we also met in person and our intertwined creative work began. It’s really nice when creativity opens a new way into new acquaintances and projects. I think me and Zala share many similar values and outlooks on the world; especially having in mind that it’s important to care for our little home. Our Mother Earth and nature. Simultaneously we are also quite different, so such collaborations are a figment of motivation, movements and positive energy. Zala is talented in sewing, fashion design and photography. While lately I’m finding myself mostly in illustration and animation, but I’m also constantly shifting to other hand craft techniques; from embroidery to creating with clay. These are my two new hobbies. And so an idea and opportunity came up to connect our skills and crafts into something new.
The first project we were planning to collaborate was postponed due to these weird corona times.
But then an idea came up to make a mini project, which is still possible to realise from afar. So I made an illustration; my interpretation of photographs captured by Zala. In recent times, I swapped digital illustrations with children’s watercolor pencils that I have in my drawer for quite some time now. I love the physical touch with the material and the limited option for corrections. What you make, stays there. That’s why I also used them for Zala’s illustrations. Even though I’ve been expressing myself mostly with black lines, I’ve turned to colours this time. The process was really spontaneous and relaxing, maybe that’s also why there is so much colour and patterns. Illustration represents a light, dreamy world with a pinch of boldness. In it I see an intertwinement of reality and imagination. Just the way I felt Zala’s photographs with her creations. I’m looking forward to new adventures that are yet to come, when alike but different thoughts of us, creative thinkers come together. Of us, who dream with our feet on the ground.
A fun anecdote; in the summer I kept bumping into Jovana in the city park so many times it kind of made me feel like I’ve known her for much longer than I do.
White outfits are handmade by me using vintage lace curtains and second hand sweaters, turning them into new patchworks to avoid little old stains.
