Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Miljan Suknovic . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Miljan , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

An Immigrant Story

As an artist, I’ve been living and working in different countries. In April 2007, I arrived at the JFK airport and started a new chapter of my life. I came to New York City to continue my education, artistic career, and pursue my dreams. From a student visa to a green card for extraordinary ability and years of hard work, in 2018 I finally accomplished my mission as an immigrant: receiving a US citizenship. The quote from President Kennedy’s speech “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” inspired me to do something for my new country and my new city, New York City. I painted an American flag and gifted it to the JFK airport to express my gratitude of having the opportunity to live and work in the US. My American flag painting now lives in Terminal One at the JFK airport.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My art career began in Belgrade where I studied art and architecture. Since then, I have also lived and worked in Prague, Florence, Hamburg and in New York City, where I live and work today. This wide range of experience is evident in my paintings, which are constantly evolving through different forms of artmaking and testing the potentials and limits of material, space, and color. I painted murals in Florence, Bologna and New York and created a large-scale painting exhibition-installations at the R. Livingston Beeckman Mansion, Tower 49, at the World Trade Center’s Tower 7, Air France, and the JFK Airport. My work was exhibited widely on an international scale and is represented in many private and public collections worldwide including acquisitions for luxury projects by the Cosmopolitan Hotel Las Vegas and Porto Montenegro.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

When I share the stories from my artistic journey with people who work in other industries, I realize that the struggle of doing art for a living is also the reward. Every day I enter my art studio, I feel excited and motivated because my job is to reinvent myself daily. It is very similar to a child playing and inventing new games. The greatest part is that it is an endless and unlimited process of searching for a result and every day is different. Sharing my work and connecting with society is rewarding as well.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Remembering my childhood and specifically my teenage years, I always strived to be the best in school. After high school I decided to study Architecture and shortly after I realized that my real path was to study art, however, I was rejected by different art schools. After persevering and continuing to push forward, I was accepted into the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence. During my studies, my professors became my

clients and supported my art career. This experience helped me gain confidence and encouraged me to focus on myself and my developments in my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: WWW.SUKNOVIC.COM
• Instagram: MILJANSUKNOVIC