Elma Čavčić
Born: Žepa, Bosnia and Hercegovina, 21 January 1995
Mail: elmaa236 [at] hotmail.com
Tel: 00/31/64/44/26/658
I am a Bosnian-born artist currently living in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and I studied art and education at HKU (Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht). During my years at the academy, I developed a deep interest in the stories I heard growing up—stories of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a war I was born into but never experienced.
Many of these stories were shared during dinner parties with my parents’ friends, where they would recount horrific memories, sometimes in shocking detail, as if I wasn’t even there. Over time, it felt like I had turned into furniture—silent, unnoticed, absorbing everything. The way they spoke about war so casually, as if it were a normal part of life, stuck with me and shaped the way I later approached storytelling in my art.
With the Mondriaan Fund Start Stipendium, I was able to travel to Bosnia for an extended period, where I interviewed family members and recorded their stories. This trip became a turning point in my work. It not only deepened my connection to my heritage but also provided the foundation for many new series, shifting my focus toward more figurative painting.
My work is steeped in the theme of war. I depict the stories of my parents and family in my paintings, where an illusory reality seems to prevail. At first glance, my works appear aesthetically pleasing—soft, delicate, almost dreamlike. But when you look closer, the horrors of war slowly reveal themselves. Figures seem to dissolve, fragmented bodies emerge, and haunting details begin to take shape. This subtle play with perception mirrors the way trauma often lingers beneath the surface—unnoticed until you allow yourself to really see it.
By combining beauty with brutality, my work creates a tension that forces the viewer into introspection. It makes you question what you are really looking at, what is hidden, and what has been lost. The quiet, almost poetic way I approach these themes allows space for emotion, memory, and interpretation, making the experience of viewing my work deeply personal.
Beyond war, my work also engages deeply with themes of cultural heritage. I explore the intersection between personal and collective history, thinking about how trauma is passed down through generations and how memories shape identity. My paintings speak to those who have lived through war but also to those who carry inherited memories of conflict. In this way, my work becomes a conversation between generations, a bridge between past and present.
I approach painting as a way of archiving and retelling, ensuring that the stories I grew up with are not forgotten. The figures in my paintings exist in a space between memory and reality, much like the stories themselves—recalled, retold, and inevitably reshaped over time.
Ultimately, my work is not just about war itself, but about the lasting impact it has on people and families. It is about remembering, feeling, and witnessing. My paintings don’t scream for attention, but they stay with you, leaving behind a quiet unease—a reminder that history never really disappears.
Education:
2013 -2017 Bachelor in Fine Art and Design in Education, Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht (HKU).
2017-2018 Bcademie 2017/2018, class off Wandschappen.
Exhibitions:
Solo & duo exhibitions:
2023 ‘Warlords and citykids’ Elma Čavčić & Rood Kok, Kunsthal Kloof, Utrecht (NL)
2022 ‘Combined realities’ EXBOOT, Utrecht (NL)
2022 Past is present’ with Jovana Štulić, Projectspace LOKAAL, Utrecht (NL)
2022 ‘Ljubavni sudar’ Duo solo with Jovana Štulić at H47, Leeuwarden (NL)
2020 Solo at Baak Seaside, Noordwijk (NL)
2019 Moving Gallery, Utrecht (NL)
2018 ‘Simultaneously: Left right, Right wrong’ Scoop, Utrecht (NL)
Groupexhibitions:
2025 DE 11 STEMMEN VAN SREBRENICA, Nationaal Monument Kamp Vught (NL)
2025 DE 11 STEMMEN VAN SREBRENICA, FOTODOK Utrecht (NL) Together with Nicole Segers, Anita Karabašić and work of Robin de Puy.
2025 Bearing witness, Kunst ruimte Willem Twee, Den Bosch (NL)
2025 Bearing witness, Platform POST, Arnhem (NL)
2024 ‘Kloof United’, Kunsthal Kloof, Utrecht (NL)
2024 ‘Purple blues’, Galerie SANAA, Utrecht (NL)
2023 ‘A Never-Ending Narrative‘, TROEF Leiden, Leiden (NL)
2023 ‘PROSPECTS’ Mondrian fund, Art Rotterdam, Rotterdam (NL)
2022 ‘Allegory of the Brave‘ Kunstpodium T, Tilburg (NL)
2022 ‘Kollektion Kitsch’ Worm Wunderbar, Rotterdam(NL)
2021 ‘Vrijheid van nu’ Galerie Pouloeuf, Naarden (NL)
2020 ‘Simpel Impact Factory’ Global Goal 10, SIF, Utrecht (NL)
2020 ‘ARTISTINTHEWORLD Utrecht Edition’ Galerie Larik, Utrecht (NL)
2020 ‘Borgerstraat Openstudios’ Art week Rotterdam (NL)
2019 ‘Keilecontemporary#3′ Har.art Gallery, Rotterdam (NL)
2019 ‘Midzomerfestival’ ZONDERPUNT collective, KANAAL30, Utrecht (NL)
2019 ‘Theatraal’ ZONDERPUNT collective, Frame.de.Galerie, Amersfoort (NL)
2019 ‘Twentyfourseven’, Academy gallery, Utrecht (NL)
2018 ‘This Art Fair 2018’, Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam (NL)
2018 ‘KUNST IN /K’ Studio K, Amsterdam (NL)
2018 ‘On my way to the Galatic Supermarket, need anything?’ Garage Rotterdam, Rotterdam (NL)
2018 ‘ALLES KOMT GOED’ Atelier 014, Utrecht (NL)
2017 ‘Bcademie stand’ This Art Fair 2017, Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam (NL)
2017 ‘Reflection’ Bcademie Wandschappen, Rotterdam (NL)
2017 ‘Looking for trouble‘ Casco/Fotodok, Utrecht (NL)
2017 ‘Exposure‘ HKU, Utrecht (NL)
Set Design:
2019 Short movie: ‘Cloud Forest’ by Eliane Esther Bots
32 Filmfest Dresden (DE) // Go Short, European Competition, Nijmegen (NL) // Eye on Art, Eye Filmmuseum, Amsterdam (NL) // Movies that Matter Film Festival, The Hague (NL) // Glasgow Short Film Festival, International Competition, Glasgow // Nederlands Film Festival, Utrecht (NL) // Uppsala International Short Film Festival, International Competition, (SE) // Dokument Film Festival, Glasgow (SCH) // Kassel Dokfest, International Competition (DE) // Eastern Neighbours Film Festival, The Hague (NL)
Commissioned work:
2020 Studio Moio, TinderShit (still in progress) part the ‘Shit Museum’ on the Kunstroute Leiden. The work was created following the events that occurred in 2020. BLM, polarization, wildfires, politics etc… The studio asked me to make an interactive art work about ‘all the things we don’t give a shit about’. The idea of making a Tinder like board to swipe left and right quickly surfaced. It is an artwork where people can discuss current issues in the world together.
Nominations/grants:
2022 Mondrian Fund ‘Artist start’ Stipendieum
2021 Galerie Pouloeuff Public’s Prize – Winner
2017 Preselection ‘HKU Gemeente Utrecht Award’
Works bought by several private collectors
Articles/ Publications:
Arte France. Pays-Bas : le douloureux souvenir du « Dutchbat ». 11-07-2025
In deze exposities over Srebrenica gaan de hoofdrolspelers niet dood. NRC. 09-07-2025
Kunst als herinnering aan een tijd die ze niet meemaakte. Volkskrant. 03-06-2025
After War – Bearing Witness at POST Arnhem and Willem Twee Den Bosch, 23-03-2025
Balkan Art Scene – Ljubavni Sudar
Ljubavni Sudar, liefdevolle botsing tussen twee vrouwenlevens, Leeuwarder Courant
Gooi- en Eemlander, 11-02-2021: ‘Over vrij, en niet vrij zijn’
Kunstwerkboek deel 2, Axion Continu
Culemburgse courant, Klaas en klant, Vlucht, 07-04-2019
Utrechts Dagblad, Woensdag 27 maart 2019, UIT KORT pg.24
Graduation Show 2017: HKU. 24 JUNE 2017 – Metropolis M
Beeldreportage afstudeerexamens 2018: July 2018 – Kunstzone
LECTURES/ TALKS
2023 Podcast Kunst is Lang episode 249
2022 Uitzending RouteC RTV Utrecht
2022 NOS uitzending Oorlog in Oekraïne en Bosnië
2021 Young Collectors Circle Festival, FRESH TALENT studio visit LINK
2020 Het Srebrenica Monument. Reflecties over de rol van een nieuw monument in de stad van Vrede en Recht. Gastspreker, Stroom Den Haag
2020 Radio NPO2 Bosnië door de ogen van de generatie ’95
2019 Artist talk Q&A Cloud forest, NFF
SIDE ACTIVITIES
2019 – 2022 Mentor brede basisopleiding, HKU (NL)