The 35th Žiča Spiritual Assembly “Transfiguration 2026”, one of the most significant cultural manifestations in Serbia, was ceremonially opened at the Gallery of the National Museum Kraljevo on Sunday, August 16th, 2026, at 8 p.m. On this occasion, a retrospective exhibition dedicated to Dragan Pešić, a distinguished graphic designer, calligrapher, university professor, and artist, was opened. The opening program was led by Darko Gučanin, director of the National Museum Kraljevo, who welcomed representatives of local government, the Žiča Diocese, clergy, cultural and public institutions, as well as numerous citizens, colleagues, and friends.
In his address, he recalled the decades‑long tradition of the Žiča Spiritual Assembly “Transfiguration 2026”, jointly organized for more than three decades by the Literary Club Kraljevo, the National Library “Stefan Prvovenčani” Kraljevo, and the National Museum Kraljevo. He emphasized that the core idea of the manifestation since its founding has been the preservation, nurturing, study, and affirmation of national cultural values.
Gučanin also pointed to the importance of support from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia and the City of Kraljevo.
On behalf of the local government, Miloš Milišić, assistant to the mayor of Kraljevo for cultural events, addressed the audience. He highlighted the long tradition of the Assembly and its significance for the cultural life of Kraljevo and Serbia.
Milišić noted that the Assembly, held continuously since 1991, has grown and developed thanks to its founders, organizers, and participants. He emphasized the contributions of the Literary Club Kraljevo, the National Library “Stefan Prvovenčani” Kraljevo, the National Museum Kraljevo, the Žiča Diocese, and the Žiča Monastery, as well as individuals who ensured its continuity and importance.
Speaking about the meaning of the Feast of the Transfiguration, Milišić reminded that this is a time for self‑reflection, quoting Vladeta Jerotić: “If we do not become better, we will remain worse”. He connected this message with today’s challenges, expressing hope that the spiritual and cultural message of the Transfiguration can inspire love, unity, and goodness.
He noted that this year’s Assembly carries two strong emotions — sorrow and joy. Sorrow is linked to the passing of Dragan Pešić, who for more than three decades shaped the Assembly’s recognizable graphic identity.
Milišić emphasized that Pešić’s contribution extended beyond the Assembly festival. For years, he had selflessly dedicated his knowledge, skills, time, and creative energy to the cultural life of Kraljevo. Speaking both on behalf of the city and personally, he thanked the exhibition’s author Ljubiša Simović, museum advisor of the National Museum Kraljevo, for organizing such an impressive exhibition and thereby bringing Pešić’s life and body of work back into the public eye.
Joy comes from awarding the “Žiča Chrysobull” for 2026 to poet Saša Radojčić, long present in Assembly programs as both poet and literary critic.
Another aspect of this year’s Assembly is the joy surrounding the recipient of the “Žiča Chrysobull” for 2026, the poet Saša Radojčić. Milišić noted that Radojčić has been a fixture in the Žiča Spiritual Assemly programs for decades, participating not only as a poet but also as a literary critic and analyst.
The central part of the opening was dedicated to Dragan Pešić, whose work left a significant mark in graphic design, calligraphy, typography, and book design. The exhibition presents a cross‑section of his rich and diverse artistic oeuvre.
Introducing the artist, the director of the National Museum Kraljevo recalled key biographical details: born in Bela Crkva in 1960, educated in Kraljevo, graduated from the Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade in 1988 under Professor Stjepan Fileki.
He began his university career in 2003 at the Faculty of Philology and Arts of the University of Kragujevac, becoming associate professor in 2008 and full professor in 2014.
His opus encompassed painting, graphics, digital graphics, but above all calligraphy, typography, and book design. As graphic editor and designer, he gave a distinctive visual identity to the National Library “Stefan Prvovenčani” Kraljevo, the journal “Povelja”, and numerous publications of the National Museum Kraljevo.
He received many awards, including the “Golden Pen of Belgrade” (1989) and the October Award of the City of Kraljevo (2014). He passed away in 2023, leaving behind a significant and diverse body of work.
A special part of the program was devoted to Pešić’s love of jazz music. In his honor, Dušan Sarić, professor at the Music School “Stevan Mokranjac” Kraljevo, performed Vincent Youmans’ composition “Tea for Two”.
After the musical performance, Ljubiša Simović, museum advisor of the National Museum Kraljevo and author of the exhibition, spoke about Pešić’s oeuvre, personality, and lasting connection with Kraljevo’s cultural life.
Simović began his presentation with a reflection on the performed composition and Pešić’s great love for jazz music. Connecting music with the main theme of this year’s Assembly, he spoke about the importance of tradition in art. He reminded of the understanding of tradition as an active relationship toward heritage, which requires from the artist knowledge, dedication, and constant work.
Such a relationship toward tradition, according to the words of the author of the exhibition, was one of the important characteristics of Dragan Pešić. Simović reminded that since 1993 Pešić had been creating the visual identity of the Žiča Spiritual Assembly “Transfiguration”, giving this manifestation a recognizable and distinctive appearance. He especially mentioned one of the first posters, in the making of which Pešić used motifs from the work of painter Branislav Jablanović, showing the ability to connect different artistic contents into a new and authentic visual whole.
Speaking about Pešić’s creativity, Simović described him as an artist of great breadth, erudition, and freedom, but also as a “man of measure.” He emphasized his ability to solve complex problems of graphic and visual design, while always preserving clarity, harmony, and measure. In his work various influences intertwined, from American art of the mid‑20th century, so‑called action art or abstract expressionism, to Eastern art, its discipline, concentration, and strength of gesture.
All these different impulses led to what was at the center of Pešić’s creative interest – the shaping of letters, signs, and script. His dedication to calligraphy was especially emphasized, whose mastery he patiently and devotedly built, relying also on the experiences of his professors Stjepan Fileki and Božidar Džmerković.
Simović also pointed to Pešić’s attitude toward new technologies. At the beginning of the 1990s, with the appearance of personal computers and digital tools, Pešić entered without hesitation into a new field of creativity. He did not experience digital technology as a break with previous work, but as a new possibility for the development of his research in typography and graphic design.
Recalling the beginnings of his professional career, Simović emphasized that already in 1989, as a young and newly graduated artist, Pešić received a significant recognition – the award “Golden Pen of Belgrade.” The award was given to him for illustrations and graphic design of books, which foreshadowed his further development and significant contribution to the field of graphic design and publication design.
The exhibition, as explained by its author, was conceived to follow Pešić’s artistic development – from early works and classical art disciplines, through book and poster design, to calligraphy, typography, and digital design. Although due to spatial limitations it was necessary to make a selection from his extensive and diverse opus, the display strives to show the development of an artist who constantly upgraded his talent through work, learning, and research.
A special segment of his professional work was his teaching engagement at the Faculty of Philology and Arts in Kragujevac, where he taught typography and typeface design. Simović pointed to the importance of his work with students and the fact that he passed on his great knowledge and experience to new generations of artists and designers.
Speaking about Dragan Pešić’s cooperation with cultural institutions in Kraljevo, the author of the exhibition reminded of his great contribution to the visual identity of numerous editions. Pešić designed books, poetry series, publications of the Žiča Spiritual Assembly, posters, as well as editions of the National Museum Kraljevo. Simović spoke with special emotion about working with Pešić, emphasizing that his presence and professional work represented a great advantage for the city’s cultural institutions. Recalling the words of colleagues from other museums, who noticed the high quality of the publications of the National Museum Kraljevo, Simović emphasized that one of the reasons for this was precisely Dragan Pešić. Although he is no longer among us, his work is still present in the cultural life of Kraljevo through numerous books, catalogs, posters, and other works to which he gave his recognizable visual imprint.
Ljubiša Simović concluded his address with a personal reflection on Dragan Pešić, remembering his spirit, wit, and breadth of interests. He emphasized that Pešić, through his creativity and direct personality, left a strong mark among the people who knew him and worked with him. His work, Simović concluded, will continue to live and to participate in the best way in shaping the cultural identity of the city.
Anđelija Petrović
Editor of the Informative Program
Of the Official Internet Presentation of the National Museum Kraljevo