Ivanka Dukic

Croatian painter Ivanka Dukic’s abstract acrylic compositions meld exquisite formal equilibriums with subtle surface imbalances. Trained both as a figurative and abstract painter in Croatia and Florence before evolving towards abstract minimalism, her paintings feature bold fields of complementary colors applied with contrasting textures. Cool blues and soft browns inhabit elegant bordering geometric fields, but Dukic applies each with fundamentally discordant brushstroke styles. These enigmatic canvases’ appealing color combinations evoke undeniable visual pleasure, while their subtly mismatched surfaces catch our eyes and keep our attention.

Dukic’s work – which at times evokes Mark Rothko’s gentle abstractions – is less concerned with pure color than the interplay of surface and hue. For instance, two blue fields – one dark like a stormy night sky, the other like bright tropical waters glowing– seem to flow together smoothly, until one notices their competing styles of application: one rough and gestural, the other smooth and virtually imperceptible. Dukic’s competing colors and tactile qualities make for canvases that are simultaneously balanced and intriguingly dynamic.