Maja Maljević (b. 1973 – Belgrade, SRB) is a distinguished contemporary artist known for her vibrant abstract compositions. She pursued an extensive seven-year formal education at the University of Arts in Belgrade, culminating in a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1999. In 2000, Maljević emigrated to Johannesburg, South Africa where she currently lives.

Maljević’s particular style begins with “dirtying” the canvas with a layer of bright paint that breaks the baldness of the white surface and opens up the space for Maljević’s intuitive jigsaw endeavour. She approaches each piece without preconceived notions, allowing spontaneity and experimentation to guide her creative process. This methodology ensures that every work is a unique reflection of a specific moment, embodying her belief that art is a dynamic and ever-evolving dialogue.

Onto this ground, Maljević builds up surfaces with drips, blocks, bands and waves of colour, searching for harmony between colour and form, line and shape, expansive surface and small detail. For Maljević, physical movement is an important part of the process.

Maljević’s work has been exhibited widely in Southern Africa and Europe, participating primarily in gallery exhibitions and art fairs. The artist has had 8 solo exhibitions to date and features in many of the most important private and corporate art collections in South Africa. While Maljević works intuitively, her concerns are predominantly formal. Her interest, for instance, in the relationship between two shapes within a composition is informed primarily by an interest in the shapes themselves rather than symbolic or an emotional state.

Curriculum Vitae