Biography:
Vladan Ignatovic was born August 19, 1955 in Nis, Serbia (then Yugoslavia). There was a wealth of artistic talent in his direct family although no-one was a professional artist, and he was constantly encouraged to be creative as a child. In fact, one of his earliest memories is of his preference for a pencil and paper over the usual toys! After excelling at science in school and college however, he opted for a career in electrical engineering as a practical vocation. In his spare time he continued to draw and paint as he had done all his life, and undertook courses in both painting and print making. Eventually, he found that there simply was not enough space in his life to pursue his scientific career and such an all consuming hobby. He therefore took the decision to quit his job and become a full time artist, to the delight of his family and friends. After several years in Belgrade, Vladan moved to Canada, settling in Toronto in 1993, sensing that it would offer him greater opportunities to find work in a suitable artistic environment. Here he began painting murals for commercial and residential spaces and participated in numerous local art exhibitions. In 1995 he was offered a lucrative position as a leading background painter, creating digital image backgrounds. This gave him a platform from which to enjoy using his creative ability while pursuing his personal artistic ambitions. Using intense impasto oils and employing a palette inspired by the colours of the Mediterranean, Vladan creates a wide range of moods and tones -from joy and warmth to cool reflection and introspection. While the majority of his work is based around the female figure, he argues strongly against any allusion to portraiture, explaining that his compositions represent archetypes of femininity rather than an individual woman. Vladan's work has appeared in numerous successful exhibitions in Europe, the USA and Canada.
