IN late-2022, when Dragan Simic needed urgent triple bypass surgery, suddenly his focus shifted to his heart.
\nA professional visual artist, that fixation continued during his recovery, with his acrylic painting and collage work featuring many hearts.
\nThose pieces are now on show at the Old Butcher\u2019s Shop Gallery in Soldiers Hill in exhibition,\u00a0Hearts for Every Occasion,<\/i>\u00a0which expresses his journey from hospital to happiness.
\n\u201cEverything was new for me,\u201d he said. \u201cEvery painting has a story behind it. The collage is all about what I was thinking after my heart attack.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a meaningful collage of ideas and problems, like am I ever going to travel on a plane again?
\n\u201cI painted a broken heart because there were a million things going on in my head when I had my heart attack; what\u2019s happened, why has it happened?”
\nSimic said having painting to focus on after such a big life event and shift in his health has helped him heal and get to a point where he feels calm again.
\n\u201cArt chose me, I didn\u2019t choose to be an artist,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s something in me pushing me to express myself.
\n\u201cWhen you\u2019re recovering, everything goes so slowly. You question, why can\u2019t I go faster?
\n\u201cThe artistic point of view pushes you naturally, you need to do something, and this is what created what you see in my exhibition.
\n\u201cWhen you walk around, you can see the struggle, until you end with the beach and the garden painting.
\n\u201cObviously something has happened. I\u2019m getting somewhere better.\u201d
\nThe symbol of rabbits features throughout the collection of works, which Simic said symbolises a \u201cgood life,\u201d full of energy and happiness.
\nOriginally from Serbia, Simic and his \u201cadventurous spirit\u201d moved to Australia in the 1980s and he became a Ballarat local three years ago.
\nHe has exhibited work throughout the country, in New York, and in Italy where he has a huge following.
\n\u201cItalians really like my work,\u201d he laughed. \u201cI have 20,000 followers on Facebook and all of them are Italians.
\n\u201cHey, I appreciate it. They understand me. They\u2019re passionate people.\u201d
\nSimic\u2019s exhibition is on until Sunday 28 January at 112 Seymour Street in Soldiers Hill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
IN late-2022, when Dragan Simic needed urgent triple bypass surgery, suddenly his focus shifted to his heart. A professional visual artist, that fixation continued during his recovery, with his acrylic painting and collage work featuring many hearts. Those pieces are now on show at the Old Butcher\u2019s Shop Gallery in Soldiers Hill in exhibition,\u00a0Hearts for […]<\/p>\n