Ljubomir Ljuba Popović

About

Ljubomir 'Ljuba' Popović was a renowned Serbian surrealist painter born on October 14, 1934, in Tuzla, Bosnia (then Yugoslavia). He spent his childhood in Valjevo, Serbia, and began his artistic studies at the Academy of Applied Arts in Belgrade in 1953, though he was expelled in 1957 due to his unconventional style. Supported by mentor Marko Čelebonović, he resumed studies at the Academy of Fine Arts, graduating in 1959, followed by a specialized course with Milo Milunović. A pivotal 1959 visit to Paris exposed him to a surrealist exhibition, profoundly influencing his work. In 1960, he founded the 'Mediala' movement, exploring themes of desire and fear. Popović moved permanently to Paris in 1963, where he gained rapid recognition from gallerists like Marcel Zerbib and Thessa Herold, integrating into the surrealist scene and producing fantastical, erotic paintings reminiscent of Salvador Dalí, inspired by Renaissance, Baroque art, and personal experiences like his grandfather's exorcisms.[1][2][3][4][5]

Surrealism with erotic and unconventionally juxtaposed subjects