“…My inspiration comes from fleeting, unbeckoned, peripheral glimpses of the world around me, otherworldly and fairytale-like; the tension between the real and the make-believe. …The final effect is a volcanic, three-dimensional, blown glass feel in two dimensions…Whether vibrant or sombre, I enjoy experimenting with colours and the way they combine to give the effect I am looking for. …I want to encourage the viewer to interpret these pieces in their own way; the closer you look the more you see.’’ Ilia Petrovic.

Working on large canvases, diptychs and triptychs, Petrovic creates multi-layered paintings with such vibrancy, depth and colour that they create the illusion of a transparent, glass-like world. This dramatic effect is achieved using acrylic and oils with varnishes and resins to execute glossy flowing images onto matt backgrounds. With a chemist as a partner, Petrovic can work with unique formulae, achieving paint that shimmers. The artist combines textures and pattern with abstract mark-making and his unusual technique works beautifully.

Ilia Petrovic is an artist of Serbian-Italian descent. Born in Newcastle in 1962 he was raised in Suffolk, and after leaving Chelsea School of Art in 1995 he ran a small, successful interior design company. During this period, he began to focus increasingly on his passion for painting. He developed a fascination for colours and textures inspired by cosmology and microcosm, nature and cinematic special effects; above all, he was inspired by music and lyrics.