Women’s Handwriting in Kovačica Naïve Painting: From Needle and Thread to UNESCO
The exhibition “Women’s Handwriting in Kovačica Naïve Painting: From Needle and Thread to UNESCO” will open at the Gallery of the National Museum Kraljevo, on Wednesday, October 8th, 2025, at 6 p.m. The exhibition is organized by the “Babka” Gallery and Foundation from Kovačica.
The exhibition is inspired by the inscription of Kovačica naïve painting on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, achieved in December 2024.
On display are works (paintings and objects) by 31 female artists who have made a significant contribution to the development of this artistic phenomenon. The first part of the exhibition features works by some of the most prominent names, including Zuzana Chalupová, Katarína Kožíková, Katarína Ďurišová, Alžbeta Čižiková, and many others. The second part will showcase works by Pavel Hajko, one of the most acclaimed naïve painters today.
Emerging from the towns and villages of southern Banat, Kovačica’s naïve painting has become a hallmark of the Slovak community’s cultural identity in Serbia. Recognized both in art history and by the broader public, its scope and quality have earned it a lasting place in cultural heritage.
Motifs of rural life and everyday scenes, symbols of tradition and the past, and their distinct visual narratives form an authentic body of work with multi-layered cultural meanings – now more fully appreciated through the lens of intangible cultural heritage.
The exhibition will be formally opened by H.E. Michal Pavuk, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Republic of Serbia.
In addition to the opening, a rich accompanying program will begin at 4 p.m. the same day. A children’s workshop on Kovačica naïve painting will be led by artist Vieroslava Svetliková, during which the youngest participants will receive a copy of the “Primer of Kovačica Naïve Painting”. An adult workshop titled “Paint Your Own Magnet in the Spirit of Kovačica Naïve Painting” will be led by artist Klara Babka. The workshop is free of charge, and all interested participants are welcome to join at 4 p.m. in the Gallery of the National Museum Kraljevo.
The exhibition will remain open until November 15th, 2025.