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  • WORK
  • BIO
  • ARTIST STATEMENT
  • Choreographing With
  • NEWS
  • PRESS
  • CONTACT

 

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

  • 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

  • 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: Drawing-Beginning 1, Visual Form 2 (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