AKIBOJI, 2002

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My art is my way of interpreting the world. It is through the mediums of acrylic and oil that I have expressed my passion for social justice, human rights issues, religions, and culture.

 

I was born and raised in the Netherlands, but my roots lie in Sandžak, and that dual heritage shapes my perspective. It informs the questions I ask, the symbols I paint, and the stories I tell. 

 

I create under the name Akiboji. "Aki" was the nickname my family gave me as a child, and boji means “to color” in Bosnian. When I was young, if someone asked my parents what I was doing, they would often say, “Aki boji!” That simple phrase became something more over time: a reflection of who I am and how I move through the world. I color to understand, to express, to resist, and to connect.

 

For me, painting is much more than the aesthetic: it is the beginning of the dialogue. It is the questioning, the feeling, and the initiating into action. Each of my works is an opportunity for me to take a stand and invite others to stand with me.

 

I hope that, in the end, my artwork brings us a little closer to one another in understanding, with a view to creating a kinder, more inclusive world.