Sadko Hadzihasanovic, Untitled, 2009, oil and pencil on masonite.Through this weekend Paul Petro presents sardonic work by Sadko Hadzihasanovic, a talented painter I met several years ago at the Blue Mountain Center artists’ and writers’ residency in the Adirondacks. Arriving in Toronto from Sarajevo in 1993, Sadko, who has an uncanny resemblance to Antonio Banderas, quickly established himself in Canada’s art community and continued his exploration of masculinity and cultural identity at the margins of pop and art history. John Armstrong wrote in 1998 that since Hadzihasanovic’s arrival in Toronto, he has been “applying his Belgrade and Sarajevo academic training in drawing and painting to the swill of North American culture.” After seeing the show at Petro, Leah Sandals (Unedit My Heart) reports that Sadko “continues to show his facility with drawing and painting in an assortment of small works on panel. All seem quickly done yet deeply felt, a nice combination. Some are portraits– humorous, mythical characters. Others are simply streetscapes of a tropical locale. Others are more realist-styled drawings from photographs. Together, they are a really nice summer show.”
“Sadko Hadzihasanovic: 50 Paintings For My 50th Birthday,” Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto. Through August 1.
That's interesting you've met him, Sharon… I never have, but I do enjoy his work!
Sadko is extremely talented. I was fortunate enough to have him as my drawing professor