VIKTOR MITIC (VM)

Biography

Born: Belgrade, Serbia

Canadian artist Viktor Mitic, obtained his BFA from the University of Toronto in 1995 with art history studies at Sheridan College. Renowned for his post-Pop-inspired paintings, prints, and vibrant abstract sculptures, Mitic has showcased his creations at esteemed venues such as the Muramatsu Gallery in Tokyo, The Armory Show in NYC, Art Chicago, and in his hometown of Toronto. His work is held in corporate, private, and public collections including the noteworthy Beaverbrook Art Gallery and the Biggs Museum of American Art.

He is best known for incorporating firearms in his art, a skill he acquired during national service in his native Yugoslavia. Because art and violence coexist In an inexplicable way, Mitic says his art highlights the absurdity and senselessness of gun violence, but at the same time he transforms these acts into art. One of his most notable works – the Blasted Beaverbrook – commissioned for an exhibition in 2009 by New Brunswick’s provincial gallery, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.

I don’t think guns should exist – they’re made to kill & destroy. Rather than eradicating guns, Mitic repurposes them to create art. Although he does not consider himself an activist, he lets the viewer figure out what to do about guns.

Artist Statement

My sculptural work evolves from an exploration of chance and intention, driven by a fascination with form, colour, and the unpredictable patterns that emerge from everyday experiences. The playful shapes and bold colors in my sculptures are inspired by the organic spills of paint on my studio floor—what begins as accidental chaos transforms into deliberate, structured compositions. This process of transformation is central to my artistic practice, as I find beauty and meaning in the unexpected. In my sculptures, I seek to evoke a sense of both wonder and contemplation, offering dynamic, multi-dimensional forms that invite viewers to explore the interaction between color, shape, and space. By stacking and arranging blob-like structures, I challenge perceptions of form, creating pieces that are at once fluid and fixed, whimsical yet deeply rooted in the physical world. These works, like my paintings, balance the familiar with the surreal, echoing my fascination with the intersections of popular culture, abstraction, and the subconscious. At the heart of my work is an ongoing dialogue between control and spontaneity, playfulness and profundity. Each piece is an experiment in turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, and in finding moments of resonance in shapes and structures that appear at first glance to be random.