The monograph that was unveiled on November 22 in the art gallery of MANU in Skopje is a

significant work and a testament to the captivating creative endeavor of the Ohrid artist Jordan

Manasijeski.

The author of the monograph is the art critic Vladimir Velichkovski, the editoris the Ohrid

gallerist Ljupco Župan, and it was published by Jordan Manasijeski Art Foundation.The

president of MANU Ljupcho Kocarev, an academician, delivered a welcoming speech at the

book launch, and the promoter of the book at the event was prof. Dr. Ivica Djeparoski.

Jordan Manasijeski has dedicated his life and work to Ohrid, a city with a rich tradition that

includes contemporary art. He has been actively paintingsince 1985 and exhibiting since 1991.

Previously,he worked on graphic and shape design as an employee at Lihnida factory from

Ohrid. He dedicated much of his time to painting landscapes featuring Ohrid motifs, showcasing

both the lakeside and the old town architecture.

‘He is a member of the Ohrid landscapers, he has immersed him self in vibrant colors and

unrestricted movements, reaching a pinnacle in canvases painted since 2001.This period

marks a transformative journey, giving rise to imaginative landscapes characterized by the

dominance of light and a pursuit of an envisioned pristine world’, Vladimir Velichkovski has

pointed out.

“We are children of the sun, and love is the truth. Life unfolds as a sacred joy, a gift that

awakens emotions guiding us to reach the source of holy water and drink from the Eternal

Beauty of the heavenly spectrum and the Great Secret”, through multi-layered symbolism,

Jordan Manasijeski speaks about the inspirations behind his artistic creation.

‘Describing the paintings of Jordan Manasijeski is not an easy job with out an understanding of

his extensive body of work, as well as the charismatic, spiritually charged nature of his

individuality.His creativity, above all, emanates from his vision through which he authentically

and selflessly presents us with the primordial THOUGHT manifested in expressive use of the

color. Driven by his”vocation”, Jordan creates works of art using a vibrant palette rich in

mystical symbolism and a mysterious language of the subconscious. Through his art work, he

reveals to us his concern for the human soul and explores his own identity’, says Ljupco Župan,

owner of the Ohrid Bukefal gallery and editor of Jordan Manasijeski’s monograph.

It seems that the creativity and visual poetics of Manasijeski receives greater recognition abroad

than from the domestic art public. The renowned Italian curator and critic Dr. Salvatore Russo is

deeply impressed by Manasijeski’s paintings.

Very often I find my self pondering the question, who is a true artcritic? I have come to the

conclusion that time alone is the ultimate judge of art. Only time can discern the losers from

winners. In this context, the Macedonian artist Jordan Manasijeski deserves to be singled out.

He is an artist who places color and symbol at the core of his visual analysis.

Unlike his predecessors faced with informal painting, such as Pollock, Klein, Mathieu, Tapies,

SamFrancis, Jordan Manasijeski takes an innovative approach–skill fully integrating figures

into the informal structure. He delves into secret mysteries. Hamlet’s dilemmas, verbal

paradoxes, dialogue that transcends mere symbolism.A true tempest of lines and colours – as

notes by Russo.

Toni Dimkov

(The text was published in Kulturen Pechat number 206, in the printed edition of the newspaper

Sloboden Pechat on November 25-26, 2023)