| BIO

Irena Pejovic (b. 1981, Gevgelija, North Macedonia) is an interdisciplinary artist based in NJ. She received her BFA and MFA from Montclair State University. Pejovic makes events that go beyond the visual realm, choreographing movements that turn the audience into an explorer of a world that is active and becoming—as a set of unfolding relationships—in a way that they have not before. In her work, the audience is moving-sensing, using vision, sound, navigation, feeling texture, color, scale, being both mobile and immobile.

Recent solo exhibitions include Museum of Contemporary Art, Skopje, Nancy Dryfoos Gallery at Kean University, Union, NJ; Galerija Karas, Zagreb, Croatia; Gallery MC, New York; Gallery Aferro, Newark, NJ. Selected group exhibitions include: 2017. Self-Portraits, Fundacion ´ace, Buenos Aires, Argentina; 2016, Transart Triennale, Manila, Philippines and Berlin, Germany, Filmideo, Index Art Center and Newark Museum, Newark, NJ; 2015. Forms of Repetition, Glasshouse Artlifelab, Brooklyn, NY, an evening dedicated to durational performances.; dirt-e, curated by Ben Davis, Central Booking, New York City; 2013. Stars in My Pocket like Grains of Sand, curated by Jayson Keeling, Lower East Side Printshop, New York City.

Irena Pejovic was part of SWIM, a theatre piece by Robert Whitman, presented at the Alexander Kasser Theatre in Montclair (2015) and at Fridman Gallery in New York City, in cooperation with Dia Art Foundation and Julie Martin, Director of Experiments in Art and Technology (2016). She was awarded the 2021 Individual Artist Recovery grant award from The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, 2020 Artist Relief Fund Grant, an initiative organized by the Academy of American Poets, Artadia, Creative Capital, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, MAP Fund, National YoungArts Foundation, and United States Artists, 2018 Individual Artist Fellowship Award by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and has received exhibition and publishing grants by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of North Macedonia (2018), Croatian Ministry of Culture (2014) and the City of Gevgelija, North Macedonia (2018, 2015, 2014), UMD John L. N. Bitove, C.M. Macedonian Heritage Scholarship Award (2014) and Step Beyond Travel Grant (2013) by the European Cultural Foundation. In 2012, she served as a member of the Board of Directors at the Printmaking Center of New Jersey. Her work is included in the Contemporary Print Collection of the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb, Croatia. She has taught at Montclair State University, Kean University and has appeared as a visiting artist at New Jersey City University.

Education

- MFA, 2015, Montclair State University
- BFA, 2003, Printmaking, Montclair State University
- Fine Arts/Studio Concentration Degree, 1999, Printmaking,
  High School of Fine Arts “Lazar Licenovski”, Skopje, North Macedonia

Awards and Grants

2021 Individual Artist Recovery grant award, The New Jersey State Council on the Arts
2020 Artist Relief Fund, Academy of American Poets, Artadia, Creative Capital, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, MAP Fund, National YoungArts Foundation, and United States Artists
2018 Individual Artist Fellowship Award, New Jersey State Council on the Arts
2016 Publishing Grant, City of Gevgelija, North Macedonia, Translation and Publishing of the Monograph “Choreographing With”
2015 Exhibition Grant, City of Gevgelija, North Macedonia and Macedonian Ministry of Culture, 2015 Summer Cultural Program
2014 UMD John L. N. Bitove, C.M. Macedonian Heritage Scholarship Award
2014 Graduate Assistantship Award, Montclair State University, MFA Studio
2014 Exhibition Grant, City of Gevgelija, North Macedonia, as part of the 2014 Cultural Program
2013 Cento Amici Scholarship
2013 STEP BEYOND Travel Grant, European Cultural Foundation
2013 Exhibition Grant, Croatian Ministry of Culture, Croatia
2003 Excellence in Printmaking Award, Printmaker of the Year, Montclair State University, School of Arts
2001 Excellence in Printmaking Award, Printmaker of the Year, Undergraduate, Montclair State University, School of Arts
2001 Malta Art Biennale 2001; Print Award

Collections

Muzej za Umjetnost i Obrt (Museum of Arts and Crafts), Zagreb, Croatia, Contemporary Print Collection, http://www.muo.hr/

Current and Upcoming Exhibitions and Events

Earth Comb , ongoing.

Solo and Two-Artist Exhibitions

2022 Forms of Re-Creation, KSP Centar Jadro, Skopje, North Macedonia
2019 Earth Comb, a one day event, Montclair Design Week, Montclair, NJ, USA
2018 YOU ARE A MOBILE ARCHITECTURE , a three month multi-sensorial event, Museum of Contemporary Art, Skopje, North Macedonia
2017, Grids are Events of Forming, Solo Exhibition, Nancy Dryfoos Gallery, Kean University, Union, NJ
2015, YOU ARE A MOBILE ARCHITECTURE, Participatory Event, Artist Talk and Exhibition, People’s Theatre, Gevgelija, North Macedonia
2015, When a tree falls, the sky falls, Outdoor Installation, Montclair State University, NJ
2014, Urban Camping, Montclair State University, NJ
2014, Dance:: Art: A Formula, Gallery AMAM, Gevgelija, North Macedonia – Catalog, essay by Sarah Schmerler
2013, Après Moi, Le Déluge: Solo Series, Gallery Aferro, Newark, NJ, Curated by Evonne M. Davis
2013, Two Artist Exhibit, Irena Pejovic/Ana Sladetic, Memory, Between Impression and Imprint, Galerija Karas, Zagreb, Croatia,
Catalog, essay by Antonia Došen
2013, CORE, Right Angle Gallery, Hoboken, NJ
2012, CORE, Silkscreen Prints and Collagraphs, Gallery MC, New York City
2012, Photo Etchings and Projections from the “Waking Up Series”, City Library, Gevgelija, North Macedonia
2012, Open Studio Tour, Pop-Up Gallery at the Monroe Arts Center, Hoboken, NJ

Events, Collaborative Projects

2016, SWIM, Performer, Theatre performance by Robert Whitman, Fridman Gallery, New York, NY
2015, YOU ARE A MOBILE ARCHITECTURE, 3 hour Participatory Public Event, Rahway Arts District, Downtown Rahway, NJ
2015, SWIM, Theatre performance by Robert Whitman, Alexander Kasser Theatre, Montclair, NJ

Selected Group Exhibitions

2018 Patem 2017, Academy of Fine Arts, Skopje, North Macedonia
2018 New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Fellowship Awards in Visual Arts Exhibition, Wheaton Arts Center, NJ
2017, Self-Portrait Project Session #9 , Montclair State University ,  Fundacion ´ace, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2016, Transart Triennale 2016: The Imperceptible Self and the 2016 London Biennale MANILA Pollination: Synchronisations-Syncopations
2016, Filmideo, Index Art Center and Newark Museum, Newark, NJ
2015, Glasshouse Artlifelab, Brooklyn, NY, ‘Forms of Repetition’ an evening dedicated to durational performances.
2015, dirt-e, Curated by Ben Davis, Central Booking, New York City – Catalog, essay by Ben Davis
2015, A Rising Tide: 4+4, Visceglia Gallery, Caldwell University, Caldwell, NJ
2015, post-EXIT, Gallery MC, New York City – Catalog
2015, Armory Show, Gallery MC, New York City
2014, Sliver, Index Art Center, Newark, NJ
2013, Roses By Other Names, guest curated by Jaishri Abichandani, Lower East Side Printshop, New York City
2013, Under Pressure, West Windsor Arts Center, Newark, NJ, Curated by Eileen Foti
2013, Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand, guest curated by Jayson Keeling, Lower East Side Printshop, New York City
2013, New Print, Bushwick Print Lab, New York
2012, Multi Media Group Exhibition, Gevgelija, North Macedonia
2012, Legacy, Printmaking Center of NJ
2012, NJ Artists Show, Lana Santorelli Gallery, Hoboken, NJ
2012, Rhythm and Movement, Lana Santorelli Gallery, Hoboken, NJ
2012, Mad Hot Young, Solo Series, Printmaking Center of New Jersey
2012, 12th Annual Anniversary Exhibition, Box Heart Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA
2012, Juried Theme Exhibition, ART INTER/NATIONAL, HERE AND ABROAD, Box Heart Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA
2011 Work from Printmaking Workshop “Sofija”, Culture Center “Aco Gorcev”, Negotino, North Macedonia
2006-2010 Annual Group Exhibition, the Artist’s Society, Gevgelija, North Macedonia
2002-2005 Work from Printmaking Workshop, Rabotnicki Univerzitet “Kiril i Metodij”, Gevgelija, North Macedonia
2001 Malta Art Biennale 2001; Malta

Selected Press

artnet News, July 6th, 2015, 14 of the Best Summer Gallery Group Shows in New York, by Cait Munro,
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/new-york-summer-group-shows-305598?utm_campaign=artnetnews&utm_source=070615daily&utm_medium=email
Zarez, September 12th, 2013, Exhibition review by Feđa Gavrilović, Zagreb, Croatia, page 19;
London Print Studio Blog, 2012, “Artist in Residence – Irena Pejovic”, http://www.londonprintstudio.org.uk/uncategorized/artist-in-residence-irena-pejovic/;
London Print Studio Blog, 2012, “Video – Artist in Residence – Irena Pejovic”,
http://www.londonprintstudio.org.uk/uncategorized/video-artist-in-residence-irena-pejovic/;
Jersey Journal, May 10th, 2012, “New exhibit at Lana Santorelli Gallery in Hoboken features ‘Rhythm and Movement’;
Cooltura, May 15th, 2012, “Irena Kojkova Pejovic na tri grupni izlozbi vo SAD”, http://cooltura.mk/?p=8529;
Sarah Schmerler, “Studio visit, gallery visit, Agnes DeMille”,
http://www.sarahschmerler.com/brooklyn/studio-visit-gallery-visit-agnes-demille/, July 20, 2011;
Sunday Times, June 24th, 2001, “105 countries represented at this year’s Malta Art Biennale“, Malta, page 44;
Torca, June 24th, 2001, “The Malta International Art Biennale 2001”, Malta, page 14;

Publications and Presentations

2016, Choreographing With in Macedonian, a monograph by Irena Pejovic
2015, Monograph, Choreographing With, Irena Pejovic, interview with Robert Whitman
2015, Artist Talk, Montclair State University, on Practice and Career
2015, Lecture, Kean University, Thinking Creatively Conference, on Creativity

Workshops, Residences and Research

2019 In7, A 7-day video production workshop
2017, Patem Residency, North Macedonia
2016, Self-Portrait Project Session #9 , Montclair State University ,  Fundacion ´ace
2015, Research, Milos Island, Greece: Water moves – rocks partition, Nature as a self-generating movement machine
2014, Research, Lefkada, Greece: Lines, Smooth Space
2012, Artist in Residence, London Print Studio, London, UK
2011, Printmaking Workshop “Sofija”, Bogdanci, North Macedonia, http://www.facebook.com/graphicartsofija
2002-2005, Printmaking Workshop, Rabotnicki Univerzitet “Kiril i Metodij”, Gevgelija, North Macedonia

Work Experience

2014-Present, Adjunct Professor, Kean University, Robert Busch School of Design
Classes taught: Intro to Design and Visual Culture, Drawing-Beginning 1, Visual Form 1 and 2 (2D and 3D)
2015-Present, Adjunct Professor, Montclair State University
Classes taught: Intro to Visual Arts
2005-Present, Founder, Koiko Design LLC – a graphic design studio
2011-2012, Member of the Board of Directors, Printmaking Center of New Jersey
2012, Assistant Instructor, Collagraph with Talleen Hacikyan, The Printmaking Center of NJ
2011, Instructor, Photo Etching Workshop at Printmaking Workshop Sofija, Bogdanci, North Macedonia