ABOUT – The Art Of Healing

Vinko Kalcic is an internationally acclaimed artist based in London.
Since the early 1970s, he has exhibited his paintings across Europe, both in solo and group exhibitions.

GROWING WITH ART
From a very young age, Vinko demonstrated a deep passion for drawing, creating vivid, cartoon-inspired illustrations fuelled by his boundless imagination. In primary school, art was his favourite subject, and he consistently achieved the highest grades. By the age of sixteen, his art was was for the first time publicly exhibited in a group exhibition.

ART EDUCATION
He graduated in Art and Multimedia /Creative Studies/ at the University of Queens in Belfast and Digital Compositing and Special Effects for Film and Videos at ESCAPE Studios in London.

ART IN MULTIMEDIA
Throughout the years, Vinko worked for major advertising companies, newspapers and magazines in UK as an Artist/illustrator and a Graphic Designer. His illustrations were published in national and international newspapers and magazines like: Sunday Independent, Irish News, Times, In Dublin, Woman’s Way, Belfast Telegraph, Northern Woman etc.
He also worked for Bloomberg TV, BBC, Clarins, Guinness, Smirnoff etc.
He was later Art Director in First Derivatives Senior Lecturer in Dundalk Institute Of Technology (Ireland) teaching Graphic Design and 2D Animation art. He was also a Senior Lecturer in High Schools and Colleges in UK for Art/Graphics/Web Design and 2D Animation.

MEMBERSHIPS
AAI / Artist Association of Ireland
AOI / Association of Illustrators
CCGB / Cartoonist Club of Great Britain

AWARDS
Vinko has received numerous prestigious international awards, including:
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GOLDEN GRAPHIS AWARD
for Logo Design
New York
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BAFTA AWARD
for the Best Family Game, awarded to Microsoft’s RARE Game Studios (UK). Vinko worked as an UI Artist
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RIDLEY SCOTT AWARD, an international competition for Animated Graphics, sponsored by Cartoon Network.
London
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GOLDEN PENCIL AWARD
Creative Showcase for advertising.
New York
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EXHIBITIONS
Since the early 1970s, Vinko has exhibited his paintings in art galleries across Europe, including the UK and Ireland, participating in both solo and group exhibitions. His first solo exhibition took place in Milan, Italy, in 1996.
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HIGHLIGHTS
His art has been exhibited in London alongside some of the most iconic artists, including Andy Warhol, the King of Pop Art, and Sir Peter Blake, the Father of British Pop Art.

‘THE ART OF HEALING’

In 1996, using the powerful words of Pete Seeger, Tommy Sands composed ‘The Music of Healing’, a plea for understanding, love and peace. Urging people to learn to live together after conflicts, encapsulating the hope for reconciliation. that transcends borders and boundaries. Coming from bloody conflict in Yugoslavia, Vinko as a man of Peace become found those ideas very familiar and become very good friend with Tommy. They collaborated and worked on number of Peace and Music projects over the years. That song inspired Vinko to create a painting called ‘The Art Of Healing’ (above). That was the beginning of his new creative journey exploring the theme of healing in his art.

HEALING POWER OF MUSIC

The opportunity to bring this concept of healing with art to life, arose again through Vinko’s involvement in a cross community project by the Northern Ireland Peace & Reconciliation Board. Working alongside his friend Tom Newman, acclaimed sound engineer and producer of Mike Oldfield’s legendary ‘Tubular Bells’ album. Vinko created the visuals /Graphic Design, Photography and Videos/ for this inspiring rendition of that famous album. This powerful performance brought together around 800 segregated schoolchildren from Protestant and Catholic schools and colleges in Northern Ireland, all playing and singing in harmony.
It became a remarkable example of the healing power of music and its ability to bridge divides.

Promoting the healing power of art extends beyond boundaries, speaking a language that every person with heart and soul can understand while creating something unique and beautiful. Art has the ability to transform emotional pain, trauma, and stress into tangible expression, fostering resilience, self-discovery, and inner strength.
This process closely mirrors the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi. On the surface, Kintsugi appears to be the simple repair of broken ceramics. However, within the Buddhist context, things are never merely what they seem. While Kintsugi mends physical objects, at a deeper level it represents healing, acceptance, and the pursuit of enlightenment, much like Vinko’s art.

* Vinko’s art is exhibited and for sale in Saatchi Art Gallery.

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