During a recent gathering of Bosnians and Herzegovinans at Hertswood Academy in Borehamwood to mark the Statehood Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina and thirty years since the arrival of the first concentration camp inmates in the UK, an exhibition by a young artist from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nermina Memić, was held.
The second generation of Bosnian citizens from Hertfordshire have recognized her work and creativity over the past months and decided to contact Nermina in Bosnia and Herzegovina and ask if they could use her work as part of a program to mark 30 years since the arrival of the first Bosnian concentration camp prisoners in the UK.
Memic created the illustrations for “The Warning” with the aim of reminding us of the horrors and those killed in the Srebrenica genocide, as well as the enduring pain of the survivors.
“I have long wanted to do something on the topic of genocide and to contribute to ensuring that it is never forgotten. Thank you to the esteemed Mrs. Aldijana Paratušić, on behalf of the Hertfordshire BiH Association, as well as to the entire team who recognized my work and organized the exhibition, giving me the honor of being part of the program marking the Statehood Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the 30th anniversary of the arrival of the first BiH camp inmates in Great Britain. I am pleased with the fact that our BiH diaspora is actively working to promote the memory of the Srebrenica genocide, marks significant dates for our country and appreciates the work of young authors. I hope that more beautiful collaborations will follow us in the future,” said Memić.
Nermina’s talent for painting was discovered by her teachers in elementary school, when she began winning awards. After high school, she enrolled at the Faculty of Architecture in Sarajevo, graduating in 2017. She is currently a senior in her second cycle of studies at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Sarajevo.
“The pictures from Potočari, thousands of white tombstones, crying mothers, photographs of suffering left a strong impression on me and I wanted to contribute to not forgetting the genocide,” concluded Memić. To warn, to remember and not to forget is the message of this young artist.
Those present were pleasantly surprised by the works of the young artist. They had the opportunity to see and learn more about the artist and her works.
You can read Nermina’s biography below:
Biography – Nermina Memic
I was born in Sarajevo on January 2, 1992. After completing primary and secondary education in Sarajevo, I enrolled in the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Sarajevo. I completed my first cycle of studies at the same faculty in July 2017 with a grade point average of 7.55 and obtained the title: baccalaureate/bachelor – architectural engineer.
I am enrolling in the Master’s program at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Sarajevo in 2018, where I am currently a senior with a second-cycle grade point average of 9.57. I am working on my Master’s thesis at the Department of Architectural Design – Public Buildings on the topic: Pediatric Clinic Sarajevo under the mentorship of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Senaida Halilović-Terzić, B.A. in Architecture.
My interest in art has been evident since early childhood, which is something that even teachers have noticed. My first presentation was at the “Isak Samokovlija” Elementary School, where as a third-grade student I won an award for my art work on the topic “My School in the Future”.
During my studies so far, I participated in three group exhibitions. The first exhibition is in the field of “Interiors and Design” where I was one of the authors of the student project “Redesign of the interior of the entrance hall of the Faculty of Architecture” in 2019. In 2020, a group student exhibition of art works “Magnitudo” was held in the Sarajevo City Hall, where I exhibited five works on the theme of the Sarajevo City Hall. I participated in the online group exhibition of student works of the Faculty of Architecture in 2021, organized by the Department of Theory and History of Architecture AFS, where I exhibited the conceptual design of the Art Gallery and Café Library “Kamer Aurora” created for the needs of the course “Methodology and Phenomenology of Active Approach to Architectural Heritage.
The path to the aforementioned exhibition “Magnitudo” was attending a summer drawing school in Korčula as part of the mandatory subject “Freehand Drawing 4” in the second year of the first cycle of studies. During my master’s studies, I attended and successfully completed the elective subjects: “Development of visual elements through realistic and abstract expression through drawings and paintings” and “Abstract visual expression of shapes, colors and movements”. In the Sarajevo City Hall, I presented five works: “Volcano”, “Sympathy”, “View”, “Flow”, “Faces of the City Hall” – caramel candy packaging inspired by the facade of the Sarajevo City Hall. As one of the organizers of the exhibition, I gained knowledge about the process of editing, i.e. production and promotion of the exhibition. I was honored that my suggestion was adopted for the title of the exhibition: Magnitudo – lat. Magnitudo, inis, f. – size, importance, fame, strength.
I am organizing and realizing my first solo exhibition “The Warning” in July 2022 at the Srebrenica Memorial Center – Potočari, where I am exhibiting thirteen works and a graphic poster of the exhibition of the same name. The exhibition will be on display until November 11, 2022. I am also exhibiting the same exhibition “Mahnmal” (German: Reminder) abroad, in the German city of Ulm. The aforementioned exhibition will be on display from July 11 to August 11, 2022, in order to contribute to preserving the memory of the genocide in Srebrenica. With the exhibition illustrations: “Genocide”, “July 1995”, “Generations”, “and Persecution”, “Islam”, “Tearing down – Dimije”, I recall the period from July 11, 1995 to July 22, 1995 in Srebrenica, Potočari and all places in the Srebrenica enclave as well as places outside it, on the roads that were supposed to lead to freedom. With the illustrations titled “8372…”, “Waiting”, “Prayer”, “DNA ’95”, “Srebrenica ’95”, “Nearby”, I present the time after the genocide.
I am the author of the “Srebrenica” scarf, which I designed in February 2022 and presented at the opening of the “Warning” exhibition. I entrusted the production of the scarf to the association “Gračaničko keranje”, which is responsible for the design and production of “Flowers of Srebrenica”.
I attended the summer school “Islam in the Contemporary World” in 2019 under the auspices of the CNS, or the “Center for Advanced Studies” organization in Sarajevo and Podgorica.
Contact
E-mail: nermina.memic.engineer@gmail.com
Facebook: @Nermina Memic Art
Instagram: @nermina.memic.art
