NIKA LAMEŠIĆ / AMBIVALENCE
The opening of the exhibition is on 11/03/2026.
FROM THE PREFACE OF THE EXHIBITION
"The relaxing noise of the sewing machine is rhythmic and even. In Nika Lamešić's work, it is not just a sound, but becomes the rhythm of work and the rhythm of sleep, a repetitive pattern that calms and disturbs at the same time. The uniform pace of the needle prick not only shapes the material structure of the work, but also embodies its content – its buzzing acts as a white noise that introduces consciousness into the interspace of dream and reality.
Stitches in the form of comic book pictures introduce us to the beginning of the story – the moment of sinking into sleep. Successive images – looking out the window, counting, falling asleep – lead to noise, the absence of consciousness, visualized as a taut tangle of black and white thread under which the fabric is tightened. With a similar procedure, the space between dream and reality is evoked on a non-wearable, asymmetrical shirt. Motifs inscribed in the textile disrupt the stability of the garment, making its structure tense and uncertain. The shirt retains the form of the body that could wear it and suggests its physical presence, while the narrative of the work takes place in the space from which consciousness has been displaced. In the context of these works, sewing is not just a means of representation; the process of sewing itself simulates the method of falling asleep...
....These figures are depicted almost childishly, infantilely, emphasizing the fragility of the dreaming subject. Their forms arouse irrational, childish fears of what does not exist, but persistently return in the dream. The blanket is sewn patiently and repetitively, prick by needle prick, and the repetitiveness that previously calmed down now multiplies fears. Crucified over the bed, it implies a body that sleeps, still and motionless, while restlessness takes place in the sphere of the mind. The second cycle of stitches, executed in intaglio print, contains fingerprints, skin and hair, as vague evidence of presence in the foggy space of sleep. Like other works, the printed traces of the body suggest its presence even when it is not there – in the space between reality and dream, conscious and subconscious.
The repetitiveness of sewing does not appear in the work only as a formal characteristic, but as a principle that shapes the narrative and theme of the work. The repetitive act of sewing simultaneously calms and emphasizes discomfort, thus creating works in which dreams are not depicted, but happen."
Ela Junaković
BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Nika Lamešić (2001, Zagreb) is an artist whose work intertwines playfulness with the strangeness of human experiences, creating a personal dialogue with the materials she uses. Her practice includes drawing, graphics and sewn objects through which she creates intimate, emotionally resonant pieces. She is a 1st year graduate student of Printmaking at the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb. She has participated in several group exhibitions, of which she singles out: They are here at the Cultural Center Osijek and Matrice: Body at the SC Gallery in 2025.
You can see the exhibition in the Šira Gallery during the working hours of the Gallery (Mon-Fri: 9-16 h, 18-20 h, Saturday: 11-16 h) until 24.03.2026.