Artist Biography
Emma Zukovic was born in Lymington, England, in 1993. The artist is now based in Galway, Ireland. She received her BA in Fine Art Printmaking and Contemporary Practice in Limerick School of Art and Design. The artist's mother is of Irish nationality and her father is from Macedonia.
Being of Macedonian descent, Zukovic's work is concerned with the theory of Post-Memory and it's relevance to the lost country, Yugoslavia.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
Limerick School of Art and Design, First Class Honours Degree
Sep 2012 — Nov 2016
Received a (first class honour ) 1.1 degree and graduated with the highest grade in my graduating year.
Awards and Achievements
Finalist, İnönü Film Festival, Turkey
May 2022
Winner of Best Short Documentary, Reykjavik Film Festival
February 2022
Best Documentary Film Award
August 2021
Recipient of the Galway Film Centre Bursary
June 2020
WatchOut Film Festival, Macedonia
May 2017 — May 2017
I was flown to Macedonia and presented the award for winning the experimental film category
Montreal Film Festival, Canada
Aug 2017 — Aug 2017
Awarded winner of the experimental film category.
Cork Film Centre Graduate Award
Aug 2016 — Aug 2016
Received the Graduate award for my Degree Show and presented my work in the Cork Film Centre.
LIT Graduate Award
June 2016 — June 2016
Presented with the LIT Graduate Award for my consistency and degree show work
Exhibitions and Experience
2021
Recipient of Irish Arts Council Film Bursary
Solo Exhibition, 'Parallel Familiars', Courthouse Gallery, Clare
Solo Exhibition, 'Parallel Familiars, Custom House Gallery, Westport
Official Selection, Waterford Film Festival, Waterford
GAZE International Film Festival, Dublin
The LiftOff Sessions Festival, London
TULCA visual arts Festival
2020
Recipient of Galway Film Centre Bursary
Awarded the bursary with a brief to create a short film based in Galway City. I excelled at the task at hand and in the process decided to collaborate with fellow creatives.
Official selection
Lift-Off Sessions, London, UK
2019
Recipient of The Great Lighthouses of Ireland, Film Bursary
Given the opportunity to stay in Blackhead Lighthouse, Antrim, and to create a short (lm based on the Lighthouse itself and its sister The Great Light, Belfast City. Upon completion my work was screened in the Titanic Museum.
Cinematographer for film, ‘Puma Productions’
An independent emerging (lm production approached me to collaborate on a short experimental (lm as the cinematographer.
Solo Exhibition
‘Parallel Familiars’, Artlink, Donegal
Official Selection
Samples, Mexico City, Mexico.
2018
OGA Visual Art Exhibition, Rome, Italy
Solo Exhibition, Linenhall, Castlebar, Ireland
Film Festival, Madrid, Spain
K-Fest, Kilorglin, Kerry, Ireland
W’ow. 14, National University Kharkiv,Ukraine
Ibrida Film Festival, Flori, Italy
2017
Galway City Gallery, Ireland
Kineova International (lm Festival, Skopje, Macedonia Richter Film, Moscow, Russia
Impressions Biennale, International Arts Festival, Galway
WatchOut Film Festival, Tetovo, Macedonia
Solo Exhibition, The Ivy House, Dublin
2016
Group Exhibition, Clinton Centre, Fermanagh
Solo Exhibition, Cork Film Centre,
LIT Drawing Awards, Church Gallery, Limerick
The Florence O’Vere Lace Drawing Awards, Limerick
2015
HIVE Gallery, Waterford
Group Exhibition, Sailors Home, Limerick
Selected Publications
Women CineMakers Magazine
Establish Zine
Art Reveal Magazine
The Woven Tale Press Magazine
Into the Void Magazine
Irish Arts Review
Volunteer Work
Director of 126 Artist-Run Gallery
Sep 2016 — Oct 2019
Directorial position of 126 Artist-Run Gallery, Galway.
Responsible for the smooth running of the gallery for over three years.
With roles including Studio Manager, Technician, Artist Liaison.
Additional tasks of fundraising and curating
Current Artist Statement
''Post Memory describes the relationship that the 'generation after' bears to the personal, collective and cultural trauma of those who came before - to experience they 'remember' only by means of the stories, images and behaviours among which they grew up. But these experiences are transmitted to them so deeply and affectively as to seem to constitute memories in their own right.''
(Hirsch, 2008)
The stories which we are told allow us to fabricate our realms of imagination, creating utopians of a place never before visited by us personally. My work is concerned with the disappearance of a country, and those who struggled with cultural identity as a direct result. I am interested in the juxtaposition of Post Memory and contemporary printmaking.
Yugoslavia separated in 1992, and with that the disappearance of a country along with the identity of its inhabitants. Subsequently, in learning of others past lives in the country, I am delving into my own exploration of the self and my affinity with the land that no longer exists. Being of Macedonian descent, with first-hand experience of life in the countries of this former collective state, personal considerations play a significant role in the discussion. Through means of being submitted to others behaviours and stories of this place has been imprinted in my mind, a 'memory' of another life. Experiences and reminiscences, my personal stories and memories of my early life in Lymington at the time of turmoil in Macedonia, have been relevant in the aim of developing a model to critically explore my practice through mediums of film, installation and print.
