Bratsa Bonifacho (photo courtesy of Bau-Xi Gallery)
Canadian artist Bratsa Bonifacho has died. Born in Belgrade (now the capital of Serbia) in 1937, Bonifacho moved to Vancouver in 1973, where he died on Dec. 12 at the age of 87.
“As a child he was caught in the middle of the bombed and burning inferno of Belgrade, Yugoslavia. His experience of the fury of war and the irrefutable knowledge of mankind's self-destructive tendencies are inextricably bound up in his paintings,” according to a statement from.Bau-Xi Gallery, which represented his work for close to 30 years.
"Bonifacho attracted a large measure of media attention by painting bold shapes in bright colours on the rooftops of Belgrade. This came to be popularly referred to as 'Eyes Over Belgrade.' Media crews arrived from all over Europe and circled the city in planes in order to view the full effect of the rooftop paintings.”
In addition to being an internationally renowned abstract painter, Bonifacho was an accomplished musician who studied at the School of Jazz in Belgrade. He was the leader and drummer for the Braca Bonfacije Dixie Quintet from 1957 to 1960. He held a bachelor of fine arts and a bachelor of architecture, both from the University of Belgrade. His work was also represented in Canada by Masters Gallery in Calgary.
Source: Bau-Xi Gallery, Wikipedia
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