Vanja Lazarević
I am a graphic and textile designer, writer, and a coder — originally from Serbia, currently based in Arnhem, the Netherlands.
My work mostly consists of various textile practices like embroidery and patchwork, web-design, and all sorts of printed matter.
Outside of my practice I spend my time poorly taking care of my plants, (re)watching 90’s sitcoms or reading anything by Elif Batuman.
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Rijnkade Icons
“We walk through the street and go right past the Traffic Cone, without even acknowledging it — or the fact that it stands there, tall and proud with one goal in mind — to alert us of something dangerous ahead.”
With this collection of postcards, I give a platform to these inconvenient elements of the Rijnkade, (a street in Arnhem) which is currently under construction, framing them as important landmarks worth celebrating.
Through this series I hope to invite people to look at their sorroundings a bit differently and naively imagine the possibilities of the inanimate objects around us.
An Archive of Gazan Palestinian Queer Love Stories
This project serves as an attempt to archive queer stories in an occupied Gaza. These stories were all anonymously posted on Queering the Map – an interactive online space made to archive queer stories around the globe.
I am hoping that through traditional Palestinian embroidery, Tatreez, I could help archive these stories for centuries to come, perserving them inside a time capsule.
Grow New Branch
Grow New Branch explores the relationship between humans, nature and programs through embroidery and coding.
Based on the growing pattern of tree branches, I created a program that can produce new ones. I then translated these new generated branches in a more tactile way — using embroidery to create a small series of tapestries.
I'm hoping that this project, with its multitude of approaches, invites people to question what we perceive as natural or unnatural, artificial or genuine, and hand-made or generated.
You can check out the website here.
Baba Yaga: The Lovely Witch
“I could make a stew for dinner. My sisters would surely be grateful!”
This children’s tapestry tells the story of Baba Yaga — a character in Slavic folklore, most often regarded as an evil witch who eats children.
With this retelling of her story, I bring out her best qualities, presenting her as a loving and caring woman.
This tapestry is intended to help children be less scared of the infamous Baba Yaga, but also offer a new perspective to those already familiar with her story.
Shoebox
“But what about my digital memories – my screenshots, notes, GIFs, videos? They're stored in impersonal files, devoid of any tactile sense. They don't have a scent, hold any weight or have a certain texture.”
Shoebox is a website meant to function as a digital memory box. It raises a question about how we experience and interact with our digital memories and files in relation to their real-life counterparts. Try it out here.
Books with Covers
Books with Covers (BWC) was a weekly workshop with the aim of bridging the gap between reading and creating. In these workshops, we discussed a collection of books, compiled in a reader, and gave way to participants to interpret them in a visual format.
After each workshop, these works were compiled into carefully considered RISO-printed zines.
“Whenever I’m having a conversation with a friend and I run out of things to say, I catch myself reaching for the word “Girl” followed by “You won’t believe what I just heard.” I’ve seemingly built a habit of gossiping whenever I run out of things to say. Interestingly, this isn’t anything new – gossip has been a part of not only our social routine, but also our lives, for as long as we have existed. Even though my intention when gossiping is never malicious, I still feel ashamed. This leads me to wonder: Is there more to gossiping than just spreading possibly false rumors, or is gossiping just a hurtful habit we all partake in?”Spilling the Tea: The Problematics and Benefits of Gossip
Inspired by my own tendancy to gossip, in this essay I explore gossip’s complex epistemic value by researching its history and dismanteling its sexist, racist and homophobic connotations. You can read the essay here.
If I Forget My Stains Will Remember
If I Forget My Stains Will Remember is a stain-filled tablecloth. The stains which decorate this work were collected during a series of naturally stain-inducing activities.
Using embroidery, I invite the viewer to look at stains from a new perspective, framing them not only as ornamental details full of personality, but also as containers for memories.
The Devil’s Dictionary
The Devil’s Dictionary is a satirical 19th century dictionary. With this redesign of the original I’ve experimented with different ways of pulling devilish tricks throughout the publication – such as making the wayfinding system confusing and difficult to use, or printing on black paper with black ink.
Poème d’Adolescent
Poème d’Adolescent (fr. Teenage Poem) is a French poem written by an (at-the-time) high-schooler, Anne-Marie, somewhere in the late 80’s. In this interactive website, I’ve transformed her writing into a storytelling quiz using classic CSS input types. You can try out the website here.
Lemme See
Lemme See is a zine publication exploring the concept of portraiture through a series of conversations. These discussions, often marked by miscommunication and awkward moments, were translated into a visual and typographic form using a scanner, reflecting the misunderstandings and the absence of clear communication in the process.
Queering the Mancave
While researching mancaves as “masculine” spaces for self-expression, I sought out to create a new safe space in which I could reconnect with my brothers, who I’ve lost touch with.
The result became a machine-quilted blanket featuring our childhood stuffed animals, inspired by pixel-based video games we used to play together, such as Minecraft and Stardew Valley.
Marš sa Drine
This is a hand-painted protest poster made for the 2022 environmental demonstrations against lithuim, borate and other mineral mining in Serbia, specifically by the Rio Tinto (pt. Red River) corporation.
The poster was inspired by the iconic Drina cigarette packaging and contains the phrase used during the protests: Marš sa Drine (sr/hr. Get off the Drina,) Drina being the river most affected by the ecocide.