Galerija Miladina Lekića

Gallery of Miladin Lekic - the most important information

Near the village of Sljivovica in Zlatibor, 10 km from Cajetina, there is a gallery and workshop of the artist Miladin Lekic. The self-sown art of a woodcarver appeared spontaneously, and since then, it has been a trademark of this village and its surroundings.

History of the gallery
The gallery, now full of wooden sculptures, was initially a modest workshop where the artist himself learned how to transform a piece of raw material into a figure. The first sculpture, made by Miladin Lekic in 1993, was a lion figure that symbolically represents the beginning of something big. Since then, his art has flourished and taken shape, and his gallery has attracted more and more people.

Significance of the gallery
Lekic's naive art enriches our cultural milieu in many ways. Apart from the fact that this region can be proud of the self-taught artist who was born here, it can also be proud of its sculptures. They often have motifs from the Serbian tradition and are related to the lives of local people. Because of that, these wooden sculptures are found all over Serbia, and everyone, from artists and buyers to ordinary tourists, wants to see them.

What to see
What you can usually see in the Lekic gallery are sculptures and objects made of walnut, mulberry, and oak wood. In addition, he makes furniture of great quality and authentic appearance. What will surely attract your attention are the sculptures of unusual motifs, which the artist creates from wood with a saw, delta, and hammer. The most prominent exhibits are:

Zlatiborski Brzi Voz (Zlatibor's Fast Train) - the name for the sculpture of a peasant with a mountain horse located in the center of the tourist resort Zlatibor. It is considered Lekic's most famous work.
Woman with a snake - a tall figure of a woman holding a snake, made with incredible details.
Figures of peasants - caricature sculptures of Serbian peasants from 30 cm to 2 m high.
Icons - many icons in woodcut, the most prominent of which is the Last Supper carved on the table.
Animal figures - horse, lion, eagle, elephant, ox, and other figures of different sizes and shapes.
Items - wooden coffins and boxes with richly carved details, which, in addition to decorations, also serve for storing things.

You can see some of these objects in the gallery, and you can find some all over Serbia: on Mokra Gora, in Kremna, Zlakusa, and other places. Some of the figures can also be seen in the themed town of El Paso City in Vodice.

How to get to the gallery
The gallery is located near the main road leading to Sainovina and Sljivovica. You can reach it:

By car: from the center of Zlatibor you can get to the roundabout and join the road E763. Going north, you will pass Cajetina and Knezevici. At Knezevici, from the main road, go left on route 28. This route leads along the river Susica all the way to the gallery located on the left side of the road. From Zlatibor to the gallery, it takes about 15 minutes drive.