The young and talented Lana Bulatović was declared the best student at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the end of December, and she also received an award from the capital city of Cetinje. She pointed out to "Vijesti" that such recognitions are important for every student. She also says that her love for art dates back to her childhood, although her interest was also occupied by science during her schooling. However, now in her third year, she is more and more sure that she made the right choice by enrolling in FLU, and she is even more satisfied because it justified the expectations she had.
"They make us feel that we are on the right path and that what we stand for and strive for every day is worthwhile and reaches people. It also makes me feel more responsible for what I create and therefore approach my work more maturely", said Bulatović.
At the beginning of her studies, she chose the department of graphic design and, she says, she is sure that she made the right decision with that course.
"As time passes, I am more and more sure that I did not make a mistake. I'm equally interested in every segment of design, whether it's book design, graphic communication, illustration. Also, my focus on design does not exclude research in other fields of art such as photography, graphics and drawing," she says.
From the awarding of the Prijestonica awardBulatović says that he doesn't have a favorite technique or color in art, but that he chooses them based on the theme he wants to present, or, on the other hand, based on his own, current feelings related to the work he is engaged in, and lately he has been doing a lot of collage.
"I don't have a specific technique or color that I run through each of my works or at least most of them, and it's interesting that I've never aspired to that. I choose colors and techniques based on the theme I want to present or simply, because at a certain moment I feel that I will express myself best if I use a certain technique or color. My works are individually quite different, maybe it's also because of my personality that likes to explore completely different and incompatible areas, so this is reflected in the works as well. Lately, I've been doing a lot of collages and I've made a large number of similar ones, where black, white, gray, shades of yellow and orange colors come through, and the appearance of geometric shapes is also frequent. I've used the collage technique before when designing posters and books, but I've never explored it to this extent. Perhaps I could say only about this technique that it has been my favorite for a long time, albeit unconsciously", admits the talented and dedicated student.
She points out that she researches and follows both our and the regional and world art scene every day, discovers new authors and changes, upgrades or deepens her personal views on art and design.
"I think that we often and unconsciously choose idols when we notice some similarity between our work and that person's work, and I think that this is a good trait, because by researching people similar to us, we will better develop and realize our ideas. Also, I believe that design, just like any art, can act and influence the culture of society. One of my goals is precisely to have a positive influence on the development of our culture and art, because I believe that it is often in the shadows, and we are not even aware of how important it is and how much its development can positively influence the development of man, in every action he takes." , says Bulatović.
Lana BulatovićUntil now, the young artist has presented herself at several group exhibitions, and she also participated in the "Art rooms" exhibition of humanitarian paintings. There she presented herself: with the work "Harmony" in which she explored "the relationships of complementary colors and dealing with color theory in general", then with a graphic that she realized using a combination of techniques - etching and aquatint, as well as with a drawing/illustration that was made, primarily using the wash wash technique and brush and pen, and later processed in Photoshop.
"I often exhibit at group exhibitions, so it is not impossible that I will soon exhibit again at an exhibition of this type, if given the opportunity. There are indications that maybe soon I will participate in one, maybe even again humanitarian exhibition, but I don't have certain information about that", says Bulatović.
She points out that, for now, she plans to complete basic and specialist studies at the Faculty of Cetinje, and after that, if she receives a scholarship, she also plans to enroll in Master's studies at a faculty abroad, which "specializes in one particular area of design that she never studied what would be a new challenge". And how did her interest in art begin... She says that she loved to draw since she was a child, but also that at some point in her growing up she became interested in science.
"As a child I drew a lot, but at some point during primary school, I turned to science and was very successful and won prizes in some competitions. After that, I enrolled in Gymnasium and there I encountered interesting classes in art history and literature, which were perhaps a kind of trigger and the reason why I started to think in a different way and start doing art again. It was very difficult to make a decision and decide what I wanted to study, and these are two completely different professions. I wanted my future profession to include all my interests and for it to enable me to continue researching in different fields on a daily basis, while also being creative. I found that in design. I believe that it is a dynamic and exciting profession and that each subsequent task, job requires new research, reflection and experience of the given topic in order to give an adequate and creative answer", describes Bulatović.
FLU met the expectations of the young student
- Given that you were declared the best student, how well does FLU meet your expectations?
The Faculty of Fine Arts fully met my expectations, maybe even exceeded them. There is a really special atmosphere that prevails, both between students and between students and professors. This kind of mutual relationship drives us, makes us all learn from each other every day, exchange knowledge and experiences, give each other advice when working, in short we create as one well-organized group or, I can freely say, a team.
The study program we have sometimes seems demanding, but I am sure that it is of high quality and well thought out, and what is most important is that the daily effort of the professors to organize the classes as well as possible is noticeable, and therefore changes are often introduced. It enables the study of a huge number of segments of design and art, as well as different artistic disciplines. With such knowledge, we are ready to present ourselves, not only in Montenegro, but also beyond. I personally saw this during my studies in Spain, where I received many praises for my work and where I never felt that I could not establish a rhythm with colleagues who were older than me.
Another positive side of the faculty, which I think is important to point out, is the constant connection with artists and art faculties from the region and Europe, the organization of exchanges, guest lectures, exhibitions, visits to design festivals and conferences in Europe, as well as the organization of its own design festival (Fluid design forum). Such experiences are very important for art students and I believe that they greatly influence the quality of future work.
- How was your semester in Malaga as part of the Erasmus+ program?
Studying in Malaga brought many experiences, both professional and life. I used my free time to travel, visit many surrounding cities, museums and get to know a new culture as well as possible. The opportunity to visit very good exhibitions of world-famous artists, as well as everything else that I experienced, I think had a positive impact on my maturation, both personally and professionally.
Other than that, I think I made a good choice of subjects at university. I chose a couple of subjects from which I had previously acquired knowledge, as well as a couple of subjects about which I had no knowledge, so I managed to see a different approach to what I had already mastered, but also to learn something that I don't have the opportunity to do here, because and areas such as video art, 3D modeling, are still not seriously studied in our country.
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