Dr. Jure J. Cekuta
1952 – 2019 · Slovenia
Known for: Expressionist painting, nudes, figures, symbolism. Famous works: Bacchus Shadow II Trilogy, The Dancers, Barbara Celjska, Drunk Bottles, The Apple. Known for painting with strong, fundamental colors.
“Art is eternal. Colors never die.”
Biography
Dr. Jure J. Cekuta (1952-2019) was a Slovenian painter, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Arts. Born in Celje, he began his artistic journey in the USA, working as a painter and graphic artist in Chicago and Carmel between 1979 and 1981. In 1982, he studied at the University of Hawaii. He obtained his Master of Arts in Belgrade in 2007 and his PhD from Belgrade Metropolitan University in 2016.
Cekuta held over 200 solo exhibitions worldwide, including New York, Dubai, Chicago, Honolulu, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Paris, and many others. His works were highly valued, sometimes compared to Picasso's, and sold for millions of dollars. In 2002, he became the first painter in Slovenian history to run for President of Slovenia.
In California, he socialized with celebrities such as Clint Eastwood, Hugh Hefner, and Tina Turner. His style is characterized by strong, fundamental colors, expressionism, nudes, and figures. Symbolism in his works includes human figures, faces, flowers, and bottles. The apple became his recognizable logo.
Cekuta was a controversial figure; he was convicted in the Patria affair, fled to Sarajevo, and began serving his sentence in Dob prison in 2018. Due to poor health, he was released and passed away on August 3, 2019.
**Memoris is proud to hold a significant collection of Cekuta's works, including the "Art Behind Bars" series, which will be digitized and preserved on the platform.** He remains one of the most important Slovenian painters of the 20th and 21st centuries, whose works are part of numerous private collections worldwide.