Dragan Malešević Tapi

Born in Belgrade on January 22, 1949. and died on October 29, 2002. Graduated economist by profession. At an early age, he started painting as a self-taught artist. In 1985, he presented his works to the public for the first time at a group exhibition in Rovinj, where he exhibited for the next five years. The sale of his first paintings in the Prijeko gallery in Dubrovnik in 1987 was a decisive moment for his painting, since then he has directed his life in accordance with his talent.

He is considered a leading representative of hyperrealism and magical realism painting. He painted in the technique of oil on canvas and wood, following the example of the old masters, Jan Van Eyck and Salvador Dalì, but his works cover a much wider range, and are still not known to a wider audience to the extent that his artistic creations are.

The paintings of Dragan Malešević Tapi left a deep mark on art culture. In the 1980s and 1990s, he had a series of solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions throughout the country and abroad: the USA, Cuba, Belgium, France, England, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Russia, China, Japan... His paintings are in numerous private collections, such as the collections of the former President and Secretary of State of the USA, George Bush and many other distinguished people around the world, as well as in public collections, including the collection of White house. To the great regret of world painting and admirers of art culture, the artist's sudden and premature death prevented him from exhibiting already contracted exhibitions in museums and galleries. We can safely say that Tapi is one of our most popular and best-selling painters.

During his life, he painted over 80 paintings, among which the most famous are Field of Happiness, Swans, Venezuela, 18 Holes, Garage, Tesla, Anna Bach, Turkey Fight, Rhodesia...