Rising from the Ashes - Boris Vujovich
- Feb 26
- 3 min read
Life has not been an easy road for Boris Vujovich. He is no stranger to setbacks and hardships. However, resiliency and tenacity have been at the center of his life story. Since childhood, he has had an awareness of human suffering and the dichotomies of life (e.g. joy and sorrow, good and evil, light and darkness). Boris has long been influenced by the writings of poet and philosopher Petar II Petrović-Njegoš from Montenegro, which depicts spiritual themes of human suffering but also fighting for freedom. He compares life to a strong drink that contains sweet and sour, embracing both the positive and negative. These contrasts are recurrent themes in many of Boris’ works. They are expressions of his view of the world and life experiences.
Born in 1950, Boris was raised in a small village in Montenegro (Former Yugoslavia) during the time of communist government control. These were tough times, marked by religious suppression, lack of personal and political freedom and economic hardship. Even as a young boy, Boris had a visceral reaction to the injustice and human suffering that he witnessed. These early life experiences would be an undercurrent of influence in his future art journey, as seen in Mother Crying - War (1992) and Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo (1993).
At the age of 21, Boris chose to emigrate to the United States in pursuit of freedom and greater opportunities. He faced many challenges such as language barriers, financial struggles and working various jobs. After some years, he took a leap of faith and opened Star Art Framing and Gallery in New Jersey, creating custom framing and selling his art. He even helped some local artists by displaying their artwork in his gallery. He was living the American dream and doing what he loved.
While his business was growing and thriving, the 9/11 crisis hit our nation. Everything seemed to come to a halt and business slowed drastically. He was forced to close the gallery and later moved to Florida. In the years to come, he would endure many other challenges. Some of his artwork was destroyed in 2004 during Hurricane Frances and, about one week later, was involved in a severe car accident that left him physically disabled with pain for many years. In 2017 he was diagnosed with bladder cancer (currently in remission), in 2019 he had open heart surgery and sepsis and in 2024 he was hospitalized due to seizures.
The life of an artist is not always glamorous. Some of the greatest artists continued to create art while enduring personal tragedy and experiencing physical and/or psychological pain. Their artwork is deep and meaningful and communicates a story that words cannot express. Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits are deeply symbolic and articulate her personal traumas. She started painting while bedridden in a hospital after a severe bus accident. Vincent Van Gogh suffered from severe recurrent mental health crises and gave us a glimpse into his world of suffering. The Starry Night depicts the view from the window of his asylum room. Similarly, Boris’ art has taken on new meaning in recent years, as he is navigating through his own health challenges. Some of his works express feelings of optimism and strength, while other pieces reveal the darkness of anguish. His expressive style of painting allows his emotions and subconscious to spontaneously guide him through the creative process. There is no plan, just raw emotion. Each painting is telling a story of his inner world and his perspective of the world around him.
Artist camaraderie is extremely important, as it provides a community of encouragement to continue creating during these difficult times. Boris found this camaraderie with J. Steven Manolis. Steven played a pivotal role in Boris’ journey to finding his place in the art world. His encouragement, knowledge and expertise has been priceless. Steven invited Boris to participate in the following exhibitions at Manolis Projects Gallery: Miami Pastel Paradise (March 2023) - A juried exhibition of Florida abstract expressionist artists; 247-HBA (June 2023) - Online exhibition celebrating America’s 247th birthday and showcases immigrant artists’ powerful interpretations of the American Flag; Bunnies & Beyond (December 2023) - Miami Art Week tribute to Hunt Slonem and selected national and international artists.
Boris has risen again and again from the ashes. Though his recovery has been physically painful, his resiliency and tenacity are now taking him on a unique spiritual journey in his artistic expression. He has converted his misfortune into inspiration.
