Returning to Zlarin: Time, Work and Continuity

I returned to Zlarin in June 2023, this time staying and working together with my colleague Safet Begić. It was my third time on the island, and once again it felt familiar in the best possible way — easy, quiet, and unforced.

This stay was closer to an artist residency than a formal art colony. There was no fixed programme or schedule, which allowed the days to unfold naturally. We worked, talked, walked, and let the rhythm of the island guide the pace. Painting happened without pressure, shaped by shared time, light, and long pauses in between.

Zlarin has a way of slowing things down. The scale of the island, the sea, and the simplicity of everyday life create space for focus and reflection. Each return brings something slightly different, but the sense of continuity remains — the feeling that the work can simply continue where it last stopped.

For me, Zlarin is not just a place to visit, but a place to return to — a space where time, work and presence quietly come together.