5/9/2024
Commemorative postage stamps for founder of Kovačica school, Martin Jonas
To the Ambassador of Slovakia in Serbia, Michal Pavuk, to the family of the late painter Martin Jonas, and to the most outstanding representatives of contemporary Kovačica naive painting, the extremely valuable works of which were recorded on the sheet of the issue "100 years since the birth of Martin Jonas", Zoran Đorđević today presented a special gift issue of stamps, at the event marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Martin Jonas, the founder of the Kovačica school of naive painting.
"The issue of the Post of Serbia is a sign of the highest recognition of the life of Martin Jonas and his unique and exceptional artistic expression, which made Kovačica famous all over the world. It is also a kind of homage to the naive painting of the Slovak national minority from Kovačica. At the same time, we are sending a strong message of support for the submitted candidacy of the Republic of Serbia for the inclusion of Kovačica naive painting on the UNESCO representative list of intangible cultural heritage, in the positive outcome of which in December we deeply believe", said Zoran Đorđević.
In the philatelic issue of the Post of Serbia, two commemorative postage stamps with motifs of oil on canvas by Martin Jonas were published – Home in the palm of your hand, 1984, and Man and Woman on a Bench. The commemorative sheet with eight vignettes features the works of Pavel Hajko, Jan Glozik, Zuzana Vereski, Pavel Cicka, Pavel Povolny Juhas, Klara Babka, Vieroslava Svetlik and Miroslav Hraško. The issue was realized in professional cooperation with the National Council of the Slovak National Minority in Serbia, the Babka Kovačica Foundation and the Gallery of Naive Art Kovačica - Memorial Home of Martin Jonas. The graphic realization is the work of Marija Vlahović, the creator of stamps for the Post of Serbia.
At the event in Kovačica, in front of the Babka Gallery and the Kovačica Naive Art Gallery, the Center for Digitalization and Certification of Kovačica Naive Painting of the Slovak National Minority in Serbia organized a public debate on the draft Code of Ethics for Representatives of Kovačica Naive Painting of the Slovak National Minority in Serbia, which painters of the Kovačica School and its devotees, out of reverence for its founder, named it the Code of Jonas. H.E. Michal Pavuk, Slovak Ambassador in Belgrade, assoc. Jozef Vozar, PhD, Director of the Institute for State and Law of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dušanka Petrak, President of the National Council of the Slovak National Minority in Serbia, and Zoran Đorđević, Acting Director of the Post of Serbia spoke at the event.
In the continuation of the program, a tour of the Babka Gallery and the Kovačica Naive Art Gallery and the laying of flowers on the grave of Martin Jonas were organized for numerous guests from the country and the Slovak Republic.