Goran Hamsic

Create. The word hangs in bold black letters above his computer, a constant reminder to Goran Hamsic as to why he was put on this earth. The term itself sharply contrasts the life he left behind in Sarajevo, where six years of war did nothing but destroy. Armed with a brush and a wild imagination, Goran Hamsic has established himself as one of Montreal's most respected artists.

Montréal Magazine: You arrived in Quebec in 1995 where you enrolled into the computer science program at the University of Lennoxville in Sherbrooke. Why did you leave?

Goran Hamsic: I was there to learn English and French, to meet people and make friends. Computer science is more analytical but I was more into things like gaming and graphics, advertising and designing. So I skipped that and came to Montreal.

MM: You studied at Montreal's International Academy of Design. So how did you discover painting?

Everything sold. I was freaking out – I'm not in a gallery, I'm not known. So why are people buying my art?

Goran Hamsic

GH: I had gotten pretty good at graphic design and computer paintings, so I started showing my stuff to friends. And then one day, this guy was criticizing me and says, "The real work is when you take a brush and you paint, and you will never be able to do that." That really got to me. So I said, "I'll tell you what. In one year, I'll have my first exposition." In the morning, I went out and bought canvases, brushes, colours, and just started painting. That guy was the person who really woke up the creative energy in me.

MM: How have your paintings been received in Montreal?

GH: I did my first exposition and everyone was excited. I had just started experimenting with oil, and I wasn't sure what was going to happen. But I had people pushing, telling me to continue. So the year after that I did another show. This time it was 27 pieces in a restaurant in Little Italy. Everything sold. I was freaking out! I mean I'm not in a gallery, I'm not known. So why are people buying my art? It was at that point I knew this was going to be my life. Every exposition since has sold out.

Goran Hamsic

MM: Martin Bündock, the senior advisor for Cirque du Soleil's Integration of the Arts program, is a big fan of yours, and you collaborated with them in 2003. That's a pretty amazing opportunity.

GH: Martin Bündock turned out to be one of the greatest people I've met in the last 10 years. Martin was the person who was acquiring art for the company, and he gave me the chance to do an exposition at the Cirque building. We put together a great show, and he's a good friend of mine to this day.

MM: So when can we expect your next show?

GH: It will probably be in October, but I'm still looking for a place. It's going to be huge, and much more than just an exposition. Montreal has given me a lot. I feel like I owe it to the people here – my friends and family – to give them a beautiful spectacle. So I've been cooking up something special, something new. It's going to be cool.

See more of Goran Hamsic's work at http://silentliquid.deviantart.com/gallery/