Photo: Urška Boljkovac, MGLC archive
Janja Kosi (1994, Maribor) studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana, where she also obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in 2016 and her Master’s Degree in 2020. She spent some of her study time at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst in Leipzig and participated in several solo in group shows.
She works in filds of visual arts, illustration and animation.
Visual art
Through the integration of various media into spatial installations, I explore the notions of (non)place, home, homeliness, and the relationship between human presence and architecture.
My practice is a continuous negotiation between perception and space—between what is given and what is constructed.
I question when and how space becomes place, and when place begins to dissolve back into space.
My interest lies in the layers that constitute our spatial experience: the physical, the mental, the emotional, the historical.
My process begins with collecting—information, images, fragments. These materials are then deconstructed, manipulated, and reconfigured into new arrangements.
New constructions. New (un)possible spaces.
Spaces that resist closure, that remain open to interpretation, to re-reading.
Every project emerges from a concrete question or thematic focus and often unfolds in close dialogue with the specificities of an exhibition space.
The work does not impose resolution—it invites presence.
Illustration
n my illustration practice, I explore the relationship between narrative and image. I am particularly interested in children’s illustration, where I strive for a clear yet playful way of conveying a story or message.
I work with collage, simple drawing, and digital drawing techniques. Humor often finds its way into my visual language, allowing the message to be communicated in a lighter, more accessible manner.
Animation
I approach animation through an illustrator’s and painter’s perspective, focusing on both traditional hand-drawn and digital animation. In recent years, I have mainly been engaged with animated film through pedagogical work with children.
In my teaching practice at animation workshops, I strive for children not only to learn animation techniques but also to understand the entire creative process, which essentially stems from visual art. Together, we explore which visual elements can best convey the message they wish to express through their final film.
