FINE  ART  SCULPTURES  BY  DRAGAN BOGDAN

THE ART..

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From  a “ war child refugee”,  to the man creating some of the most  exhilarating  contemporary  sculptures  in  fine  art, artist  Dragan  Bogdan,  has developed an original character named ‘Yogi Naya the Elephant on a surfboard'  ---  A  symbol of elegance, beauty, vibrancy and whimsicality. 

 

Being European and growing up in Germany,  Dragan  has  adopted  the 'German engineering'  style of refined attention to detail which shows in his art & refers to his sculptures as the "sports car of sculptures".   His sculptures are all masterfully handcrafted with an exclusive technique developed by Dragan,  using 10 different medians along with 5+ layers of resin, achieving a luxurious one a kind depth and mirrored sheen - each single layer of resin is equivalent to 50 layers of high gloss spray.  Every liquid glass-like layer takes 72 hrs to fully dry, and in between the layers, meticulously fine sanded, polished and torched by hand. 

 

Yogi Naya sculptures come in all colors and  sizes ranging from 10 inch collectables to 10 foot monumental for outdoors and indoors.  Everything from sizes to colors can be customized per client's wishes.

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WHY AN ELEPHANT ?

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A lively gentle giant, the elephant is considered to be one the most spiritual animals and it is a symbol of good luck, happiness and strength.  

 

An elephant balancing itself on a surfboard sounds pretty impossible, and it is a symbolic reminder that "all is possible".   A symbol that even when the most seemingly 'impossible' situations arise, we need to just breathe, playfully find our alignment and trust in the flow --- because we live in a universe where all is possible.

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WHO IS ‘YOGI NAYA’  ? 

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‘Yogi Naya’, is a smiling baby elephant, adventurously "trying to do yoga",  while balancing himself on a surfboard.  He's got a big cute belly, his trunk points upwards symbolizing happiness, and his eyes are closed because he is looking within. 

 

Yogi Naya is depicted as an abstract,  and timeless character. An elegant, contemporary and unique interpretation of a baby elephant.
 

WHO IS DRAGAN BOGDAN ?

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LA and Miami based European Contemporary Artist Dragan Bogdan, was born in former Yugoslavia in the city of Sarajevo.  In 1992, when Dragan was 8 years old,  one of the most gruesome wars in modern history broke out.  Dragan and most of his family escaped in the last bus that left Sarajevo while his father got captured and was forced to fight the longest siege on a city the world has witnessed.  As that bus was leaving, Dragan recalls waving goodbye to his father while gunfire was striking the bus, not knowing if they would ever see each other again. 

 

While growing up in Germany as a war refugee,  Dragan vividly remembers watching animal shows, while daily listening to the local radio station from Sarajevo --- where the narrator would read off a list of people that were killed in the war that day --- to find out whether or not his father was still alive.  

 

The traumatic events from his past have planted strong character seeds in his journey through life, which now portrays itself through powerful animal art. 

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THE BIRTH OF THE ARTIST..

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In 2014, Dragan decided to settle in Florida starting a business in remodeling and flipping homes, where his artistic skills started to shine.  Clients and agents would frequently ask if he was a designer due to the magical work he was creating with kitchens, bathrooms and staging. 

 

After a hurricane made landfall in FL, Dragan noticed some huge tree trunks sitting on the side of the road, which he decided to take home --- little did he know at that moment, these fallen trees would become Dragan's first "canvas", as he eventually turned them into the gorgeous luxury tables.   And so began a new adventure for Dragan, which ended up leading him to Tulum, Mexico,  where he opened a studio designing and creating these luxurious live edge tables for high-end homes and hotels, ranging from 7-15 feet.

 

During his time in Mexico, Dragan lived an adventurous but calm lifestyle.  He spent his days swimming, paddle boarding, and meditating while creating new refined designs for his sophisticated tables, which ultimately led to the creation of his art sculptures --- this is when "Yogi Naya" started coming to life.   

 

THE MISSION..

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It is scientifically proven that surrounding yourself with certain colors and images in your environment, alters your mood and therefore influences your life. 

 

There is a certain natural power in being surrounded by what Dragan calls ‘inspiring happy art’.   He says that,  “every artist expresses a message through their art’  and his mission is to make a big impact through his calling as a contemporary fine art designer and sculptor, creating sculptures that have never been seen before.

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