Lecture with Florida-based painter focuses on his recent series inspired by state’s culture and scenery
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — September 14, 2023 — The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens?announces an upcoming “Culture and Conversation” featuring internationally acclaimed artist Amer Kobašlija on September 15, 2023. The lecture will highlight the inspiration he finds in the ever-evolving landscapes of Florida and the cultures that shape their future. Culture and Conversation: Lecture with Artist Amer Kobašlija will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Hixon Auditorium at the Museum.
Born in Bosnia, Kobašlija settled in Florida in 1997. He currently resides in Jacksonville and is a professor at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. His latest body of work studies the ever-changing landscapes of Florida and the human characters that shape it. As someone who identifies as both an outsider and insider, Kobašija renders a unique vision of the place, epic and intimate at once. He chronicles luminous sunsets and flourishing panoramas, spring-fed rivers and murky swamps, landfills rising over flatlands, and the vibrant animals and people that inhabit these spaces.
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“Florida has long held an attraction for people across the country and the world — including the Cummer family, who were drawn to this state from Michigan, and artists like Amer who bring a unique perspective to the state's natural landscapes,” said Holly Keris, J. Wayne & Delores Barr Weaver Chief Curator at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. “We are excited to welcome Amer to share with our community his unique journey as an artist and how it has shaped his exploration of Florida in his recent works.”
Kobašlija views Florida as his adopted homeland. This series is an exploration of both his admiration for the state’s culture in its many iterations, and his concern about the invasive nature of urban sprawl and the effects of climate change. His works “Genius Loci” and “Riverscape with Landfills” are currently in the exhibition Outside: In on view in The Joan Wellhouse and Martin Stein, Sr. Gallery at the Museum. The exhibition brings together works by global contemporary artists who draw inspiration from the natural world and work in a variety of media, including painting, photography, assemblage and video. Participating artists in addition to Kobašlija include Brandon Ballengée, Frances Gallardo, Jane Hammond, Damien Hirst, Jill Hotchkiss, James Lavadour, Debora Moore, Jordan Nassar, Ruben Ochoa and Sarah Ann Weber.
Kobašlija has exhibited internationally and participated in several residencies, including an artist residency and subsequent exhibitions in Brig, Switzerland in 2017. Other significant awards include a Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant in 2005, a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant in 2006, and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2013. His work is in major public collections such as the de Saisset Museum, Santa Clara; the Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga; Staten Island Museum, New York; and the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brussels, Belgium.??
Culture and Conversation: Lecture with Artist Amer Kobašlija is $5 for Members and $20 for Non-Members. Tickets can be purchased at cummermuseum.org.
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