Jelena
Rukavina Vuckovic

Jelena Rukavina is a contemporary painter who lives and works in Wellington, New Zealand.  When you look at the first abstract paintings/prints of Jelena, you turn back to the very basics of modernist art the interplay of lines, shapes, colors; you feel the power of these structural elements as those most fundamental forces of nature that shape us. 

The motive of water or a wave is tranquil, contemplative and fluid in its nature, in both, its form and its meaning. The moments of water movements, wave motions as well as the rhythms of their moves are the creators of a continuous but unfortunately, ephemeral spectacle. This is, however, captured in Jelena's paintings. Although she acquired academic art training through secondary and higher education from an early age, this time inspired by the elusive nature of water, she reveals her intuitive side. Actually, it is difficult to paint water according to a rule, canon or tutorial. Water is painted by feeling, especially one which forms a wave. Supported by the safety of previously acquired painting techniques, Jelena spills her talent into countless variations in which water can be presented. Everything is here – either a line or a color, a stain or a dot, mixed in a controlled coincidence.

As she often suggests: "Life near the ocean opens your mind toward the future and how we can destroy or save our planet". She is aware of the human influence on the planet, oceans and what effect people have on ocean life. Living in Wellington for 11 years gave her art a different perspective. She has a reverence for nature and love of the outdoors. Her day regularly includes beach walks, which inspire her choice of the subject of water.

She earned her Masters in Art-Painting degree in the Academy of Applied Arts in Belgrade, Serbia. She was awarded first place in an international exhibition for a portrait done in oil on canvas. The selection was made out of 410 artists that participated and she became the first student to be awarded for her work in this exhibition's history.

Her artwork is included in numerous private art collections throughout Serbia and New Zealand. She participated in many group exhibitions and has also created many commissioned works of art. She is selected to represent New Zealand and Serbia at the Florence Biennial 2021. Jelena has many international publications and was awarded this year by "Green planet" and "Create for peace" in recognition for utilizing art to significantly contribute to the awareness of intangible cultural heritage and preservation. She was featured among other international artists from 19 countries, as the Artist of the Decade Currently, Jelena works as a Lecturer at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand teaching drawing.