Savina Ražnatović (born January 27, 1993) is a Montenegrin-born, multi-medium artists whose work explores themes of ancestral histories, existentialism, and spirituality, often through the lens of Jewish mysticism, religious texts and extensive philosophical and cultural research. A graduate of the Cetinje Faculty of Fine Arts in Montenegro (2021) with a BA in Sculpture, she is currently based in Florence, Italy where she is pursuing her MA in Curatorial Practice at the European Institute of Design. Ražnatović’s artistic practice draws upon Arte Povera materials and reimagines the traditional expectations of sculptural artworks. She applies the use of everyday tools and techniques, such as drawing and scanning, to her practice which enable her to maintain creative flexibility wherever she travels.

Abstract linework is frequently featured in her work as she interprets lines to be spiritual manifestations and reflections of inner thoughts. These often take the form of meticulously fine lines created with intricately thin brushes that require intense patience and concentration. Hair is a recurring motif in her practice as she draws inspiration from its Japanese Kami spiritual meanings and applies it as both a material and symbolic element.

Ražnatović was raised in the historic town of Budva, where both her parents work as conservators and restorers of cultural heritage. As such, she has understood from a young age the significance of her heritage. This early exposure to her cultural heritage instilled in her deep appreciation of the significance of historical, spiritual and cultural traditions which she weaves into her contemporary pieces. Each work is imbued with a profound connection to the cultural legacies of her homeland and beyond. She draws inspiration from the fusion of the sacred and abstract, further exemplified by her graduation collection titled Bereshit. Here Raznatovic affixed wool, textiles and wire into 6 sculptural pieces that each form representations of the 6 stages of creation depicted in the Torah.

The artist’s works have been featured at notable art space Manifattura Tabacchi in their exhibition A Room with a View and she has received commendation at the International Biennale of Nude and the 11th edition of the International Exhibition of Experimental Film. Most recently she has contributed as a curatorial research assistant for Repose and Resist, an exhibition relating to the conjunction of healing and Black cultural production by Black History and co-curated Teatro delle relazioni in collaboration with Palazzo Strozzi, an exhibition that explores communal ties and participatory practices.

Emma Hughes
Curator and Researcher
23rd of October, 2024