The multiannual cultural programme Romanian Street Art presents a new work by Serbian artist Zmaja, selected through the open call for street art. The work is hosted by SF Travel, partner of the multiannual programme, at 41 Candiano Popescu Street.
Zmaja – “The Bear Express” at SF Travel
Artwork description: „Expresul Ursului (The Bear Express)”
My idea behind the sketch for this wall was to create a mural that would serve as an homage to Romanian staples as well as directly reference elements from it’s surroundings, all in a positive light, emphasising happy looking characters and an overall storybook/fairytale vibe. I noticed the building where the wall is located had colourful windows on the front side, so I took this as a sign to tap into a more playful mural idea and so I implemented some of the window colours into the general colour palette so as to match the rest of the building.
As the wall is located right across from Carol I Park, I made sure to include a nod to it in the background, as seen to the left of the bear (the prominent monument located in the park).
Seeing as the wall is located in a very green and natural area, I thought it would be fitting to have the main characters be animals. Romania is most known for the largest population of bears in Europe, specifically the brown bear, so I decided he would be my main character.
The bear is riding a train, a nod to the Dimitrie Leonida Technical Museum (it is a reference to a locomotive on display there), hence the name: The Bear Express. The chamois is also a notable species in Romania which is protected by the EU, so I added it on top of the bear as well.
Other notable species are the Great White Pelican, frequently seen over the Danube river, another Romanian staple. The Bear Express would serve as a reminder of the wonders of Romania and perhaps serve as inspiration to go exploring.
About Zmaja
Maja Stojanovic, also known as Zmaja, is a Canadian-born Serbian muralist and illustrator based in Čačak, Serbia. Born in Toronto, she relocated to Čačak, Serbia, with her family in 2008. Maja received her Bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary arts from Seattle University in 2019.
The beginning of her career had a focus on illustration. In 2020, she began a series of literally illustrated Serbian/Balkan expressions. This series culminated in the form of a book titled: “Kod nas se kaže…/We tend to say…” which collected select illustrations from the series accompanied by a written explanation in both English and Serbian of each expression. The book was published in 2021 and has sold over 8,000 copies since.
In 2021, Maja joined a street art organisation in Čačak, DUK (Dani Urbane Kulture-Days of Urban Culture) festival, established in Čačak in 2015. DUK festival has organised the execution of over 120 murals in Čačak since its inception. Upon joining the festival team, Maja began her career in street art.
Her mural style can be characterised as illustrative with a cartoon-ish overlay. The main focus of her work are usually stylised 3D animals with large curious eyes. An animal often spotted in many of her murals is a rabbit, as a symbol of ‘rebirth’ or ‘a new beginning,’ which became a recurring character in her work upon making the jump from illustration to murals in 2021.
Since then, Maja has participated in several street art jams and festivals, most notably: Street Art Festival Mostar (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Fasada Festival (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Graffiti na Gradele (Croatia), All Girls Jam (Serbia), and has painted murals in cities throughout Switzerland, Germany, Macedonia, etc.
The cultural programme Romanian Street Art is produced by Save or Cancel (Cristina Popa, Andrei Racovițan) through feeder.ro and co-financed by AFCN.
The programme does not necessarily represent the position of The Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the application or the way the program results can be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the funding.
Partners: Lente, Romexpo, Lagom Hotel, SF Travel, Biblioteca Metropolitană București
Media partners: Amsterdam Street Art, BSBSA (Bucharest Sofia Belgrade Street Art), Empower Artists, DigitizArte, Igloo, IQads, I Support Street Art, La pas prin Brasov, Litera 9, Modernism, Munteanu, PRwave, Street Art Belgrade, Revista Atelierul, Revista Golan, The Institute, Zeppelin, Un-hidden Romania, Ziarul Pozitiv.
About Save or Cancel
Since 2009, Save or Cancel has been a platform for communication and dissemination of arts and culture, promoting and facilitating their role in contemporary society.
The multidisciplinary programs self-initiated by Save or Cancel aim to identify sustainable and adaptable opportunities for (re)valuing the existing through cultural and editorial projects.