Yes, household appliances can be used for art. And for art therapy.
69-year-old Zdena Šarić from Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina is an artist who uses a small home electric iron instead of a painting brush. Instead of canvas for painting, she uses old wall calendars. Instead of art exhibitions, she organizes art classes for seniors, women and youth with disabilities, who she teaches how to use household appliances, such as irons, soldering and ovens, to make art.
The ancient technique of painting with hot surface and wax, officially called 'encaustic', has become widely popular among women in the Balkans, when Zdena – who accidentally tried out iron painting and fell in love with it – created a Facebook page to promote her work some ten years ago.
Only then did she find out that what she does is a modernized version of an ancient art technique, known only to Bosnian art historians. She then started giving lessons end encouraged women – mostly housewives – throughout the Balkans to re-purpose unpopular household tools and express their creativity.
The technique has become popular among seniors and youth with disabilities as well. Its simplicity and flexibility helps
reduce stress as it gives stunning results after only a couple of strokes on the paper. Practically everyone can become an artist with encaustic, which can be very empowering.
Zdena has so far used encaustic as art therapy with groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. This year she is planning to show the magic of 'iron painting' to seniors in Serbian capital of Belgrade.
More info: Facebook
In Naš Most, an art association in Zenica Bosnia and Herzegovina, seniors socialize and explore their creativity over irons and wax colors.
Among others, Zdena is giving lessons of 'iron painting' to seniors, women and youth with disabilities (Photo: Ajdin Kamber)
Warm iron, wax color and a couple of minutes is all she needs to paint a colorful fantasy landscape (Photo: Ajdin Kamber)
Zdena exhibits her work in a gallery of Naš Most Association in the center of Zenica (Photo: Ajdin Kamber)
