Enfer en paradis – Marino Baldini

Eugene Varzić has long been recognized by both local and broader art critics. He started exhibiting in the 1990s while studying in Rijeka and has since demonstrated his talents in painting, graphic art, sculpture, design, and contemporary media such as video, television, and film. His diverse approach, influenced by artistic avant-garde movements of recent years, has contributed to the local art scene and brought new dimensions to his work.

Before the establishment of the Hermetic Chromatism, an international art movement of which he is a co-founder since the late 1999, Varzić had already impressed the artistic community with his clear talent and innovative approach to art that explored new horizons. His interpretation of classics from pre-war and post-war American and European art scenes has evolved in recent years towards a focus on everyday life, series, and the construction of cycles through a blend of pop art influences and personal innovations. As a post-conceptual artist, he has partially shifted towards what could be termed the “new Croatian painting,” delving into themes related to intimacy, particularly within his own family.

His technical skill is evident in the considerable-sized artworks filled with color, relief, graffiti, and various other techniques. Drawing upon his deep knowledge of art history and modern painting, as well as contemporary artistic media, Eugene incorporates citations into his work, reaffirming his prophetic vision that has accompanied him since the beginning, especially in his exhibitions at the Zuccato Palace Gallery in Poreč.

In this exhibition, the artist is represented in two sections. The first features works created up to this year, revealing his path towards a deeper perception and artistic interpretation. With meticulous attention to detail, even in grand compositions, he has produced a series this year portraying members of his immediate family. These phenomenological and well-defined figures represent a recognizable shift towards a new artistic achievement.

The latest series of works, which follows the Ablon cycle originating in Paris, exemplifies Eugene Varzić’s artistic scope and status in the art scene. It manifests figurative art that combines elements and techniques from significant movements ranging from modern styles to avant-garde and post-avant-garde. His presence in the Istrian-Rijeka and broader art scene is marked by a personalized approach that consistently contributes to continuous values, validating his artistic choices.

In this series, the artist’s arguments are clear. His figurative art provides a personalized interpretation in which the subject, its citation or repetition, serves as a basis for technical, procedural, and synergistic approaches. The morphology of surfaces and colors, the geometry of compositions, and micro-cells of graphisms evoke synesthetic sensations.

In this new cycle, Eugene Varzić successfully assembles his intimistic efforts in painting, not only uniting various artistic styles but also developing new solutions that have become an integral part of his recognizable artistic signature.