Jano Šimek
Jano Šimek was born in 1965 in Padina, where he finished elementary school, and the Secondary Electrotechnical Shool in Pančevo. He lives and work in Padina.
He revealed his talent in elementary school, but neglected it after the end of schooling, with the exception of some pencil drawings. Around 1995, he got interested in oil painting, and with the help of older, well known painters, he gained elementary knowledge of this technique. At the very beginning of his artistic path, he decided that it would not turn to naïve painting, since he was attracted to realism. In 1996, together with the other young painters – beginners, he had his first exhibition. He exhibited his work mostly on the collective exhibitions, mainly in Padina, but also in Belgrade, Crepaja and Kovačica. While building his own artistic style, he was trying to transfer some of his ideas onto canvas, and the result were paintings with realistic objects and people, but set in the surreal sight. He held his first solo exhibition in 2001 in Padina, and then stopped painting for some time. However, when the painters from Padina decided to form the Association Smäd, they invited him to become a member. This inspired him to paint, and shortly afterwards (2012) he held his second solo exhibition. Jano is still building his own style, a bit wandering between realism and surrealism, while colleagues call him „hypersurrealistic” painter.
