Painting the Shadows Within – An Interview with Milena Guberinic

Milena Guberinic is a Serbian-born artist living in Canada who is both an artist and a survivor of life’s challenges. In this interview, she shares how her experiences, including emigration, losing her father, and chronic illness, have shaped her approach to watercolor painting. Milena also opens up about how her background in psychology, Japanese culture, and fashion design all come together to inform her art practice, helping her convey life’s unpredictable beauty and emotional depth.

Milena is a Serbian-born artist living in Canada. After a formal education in psychology, Japanese language and culture, and fashion design across Canada and Japan, Milena sought to deepen her artistic expression by embarking on a self-directed art education. Pursuing workshops and mentorships under esteemed Japanese and Western artists and working through every book she could find on the subject, Milena honed her skills in capturing life’s unpredictable moments through the chaotic beauty of watercolour. Her expressive paintings vividly embody the ebb and flow of life’s smallest joys and greatest challenges. Each brushstroke reflects her deep understanding of the medium’s fluidity, emphasizing both the beauty and tumult within her subjects. Milena’s artistic achievements have been showcased in prestigious exhibitions such as the International Juried Open Water Exhibition of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolor and the Women in Watercolor group show.

Her works have found a permanent display at the Fort Erie Art Council Gallery since 2023 and received accolades, including features in the International Watercolor Society Magazine, two Bold Brush Outstanding Watercolor Awards, First Place Prize in the Rockwell Watercolor Festival, and others. Her illustrated works have been published in a role-playing game by a co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons (Dave Arenson’s “Blackmoor Age of the Wolf”), as well as in a fantasy novel (Thomas B. Matthews’ “Ashes of Ruin”). Milena is an Exhibiting Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists. She holds memberships in the South Niagara Artists, Fort Erie Arts Council, Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolor, Women in Watercolor, and the Canadian branch of the International Watercolor Society. Milena is a proud International Brand Representative for Rockwell Art Canada. Milena’s emotive artistry has found its way into the homes of personal collections across North America, Europe, and Asia.

1. How have your psychology, Japanese culture, and fashion design studies influenced your watercolour paintings?

My studies in psychology, Japanese culture, and fashion design have deeply influenced my watercolor paintings. Studying psychology has helped me recognize and express complex emotions and personal struggles with sensitivity and depth. Japanese influences like ikebana and Sumi-e inspire simplicity and elegance in my work, guiding me to focus on subtle beauty and balance. Fashion design contributes to my use of colour and texture, adding a layer of visual richness. Together, these elements blend to create introspective and serene paintings, reflecting my journey through emotion and illness.

My life experiences have also shaped my emotive representations of figurative and portrait subjects, as I try to hold on to pieces of all that has been lost.

Milena Guberinic

2. What does the phrase “streams and oceans of watery chaos” mean to you, and how does it appear in your art?

‘Streams and oceans of watery chaos’ is how I describe watercolour’s wild, unpredictable nature. While watercolour certainly can be controlled using very little water, I embrace its unruliness, using a lot of water to capture a more authentic representation of reality. Just like our lives are filled with uncertainty and change, my artistic process should reflect fluidity and unpredictability.

3. How have your experiences with moving away and losing your father early affected the emotions and themes in your art?

Moving away and losing my father early have profoundly influenced the emotions and themes in my art. These experiences have left me with a deep desire to hold on to cherished memories and the things I have lost while grappling with the impermanence of everything that defines our lives. Art becomes my way of preserving fragments of what once was, even as I reflect on the inevitability of change.

4. How have art groups like the Federation of Canadian Artists helped you grow as an artist?

Art groups like the Federation of Canadian Artists can be instrumental to every artist’s growth. They provide a supportive community for sharing work, receiving valuable feedback, and connecting with fellow artists. Opportunities for exhibitions and workshops have encouraged me to expand my skills and boosted my confidence. I am always thankful to be included.

I embrace the disorder that watercolor inherently brings, using its spontaneity to evoke emotional depth in my paintings.

Milena Guberinic

5. Can you describe the materials and techniques you experiment with and how they enhance your storytelling in art?

I am always exploring new techniques and materials to capture my inner world. In my ‘Inner Landscape’ series, which reflects my journey through chronic illness, I introduced liquid charcoal to my watercolors. This combination adds depth, texture, and a touch of raw unpredictability that mirrors my emotions. I choose materials and methods that align with the feelings and experiences I’m depicting, using metaphors and allusions to enrich the artwork and its titles.

6. What do you hope people feel or understand when they look at your series about living with chronic illness?

When people view my series on living with chronic illness, I hope they gain a deeper understanding of the profound pain, shame, and dysfunction that often accompany this experience. Further, I hope my work conveys the sense of disconnection and loneliness that can arise. Through my art, I want to share the raw, emotional landscape of living with chronic illness, fostering empathy and a greater awareness of these often-hidden struggles.

Milena’s art reflects her life, a delicate balance between control and chaos, beauty and pain. By accepting watercolor’s unpredictability, she mirrors the unpredictability of life itself. Through her thoughtful and emotive work, she invites viewers to connect with the feelings of loss, resilience, and hope that define her journey. To learn more about Milena Guberinic, click the following links to visit her profile.