Ana Barbic Katicic

In Pure Dawn, Ana Barbić Katičić captures the magic of a picturesque dawn. The work breathes the cool, pure air of that early hour when night is receding, but the day has not yet fully awakened. The composition is dominated by a central, spherical brightness that acts as a promise of the coming light, yet remains shrouded in thick haze. While delicate, almost frosty tones of lavender and pale pink in the upper section dispel the final shadows of night, the intense, deep aquamarine in the lower third provides a powerful, maritime base. It is that fleeting moment of absolute silence, where the world still sleeps and only the sea and the sky breathe.

Stylistically, the painting is classified as abstract impressionism. Katičić avoids any harsh contours, focusing instead on making the atmospheric density and diffuse light tangible. Rather than fixed forms, the artist works with fluid color transitions and vertical streaks of paint that visualize the moisture in the air and the rising chill of the morning. The image thrives on the tension between the ethereal vastness of the sky and the physical presence of the water.

Technically masterful, the artist utilizes the squeegee technique to give the scenery structure and grounding. Particularly in the lower third, where the sea surface and the horizon line are hinted at, the paint is dragged across the canvas in horizontal paths using a squeegee or palette knife. This layering contrasts the softer, wiped areas above and creates a haptic texture reminiscent of small breaking waves and rugged coastal rocks. The artist’s Croatian heritage becomes visible in the infinite tranquility of this maritime horizon. Pure Dawn acts as a window to the sea, opening up the space and bringing a moment of clarity and a new beginning to everyday life.