Selma Popovic: 'Everyone should be free to do their art any way they want to express themselves'
“Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do,” says Selma Popovic, as she recalls fleeing the civil war in Bosnia. "I left Sarajevo for Vienna, Austria on the 18th of April 1992, with my two-month-old daughter and my son, barely seven years old.” Remembering that flight like it was only just yesterday, she says, “I was lucky that I had just designed the uniforms for Air Bosnia, so I was able to buy air tickets out of Sarajevo – the aircraft was full of women and children like my kids and me. Vienna is a beautiful city, but that beauty was lost on me – as you can expect for someone in my position.”
Given her love for art, Selma graduated with a degree in visual arts in her native Sarajevo. Though it was hard to give up fine arts, she pursued an extremely successful career in fashion textile design, winning numerous awards and contracts over a fifteen-year career. The highlight achievement of her career was designing uniforms for all the employees for the Sarajevo Winter Olympic Games in 1984. Selma invited a fashion designer from Serbia to join her and they began designing work two years before the games. “I am so grateful to have an official copy of my award-winning designs in a beautiful book that I carried with me when escaping the war in 1992,” says Selma. “It is a memoir I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
Selma expected to return to her home in Sarajevo after a month or so, but two years later she and her children were still in Austria living as refugees. She found work designing textile motifs for tapestry and then as an unpaid teacher at the Eighth Gymnasium High School, in Vienna, Austria. At the school, she prepared students for a nationwide competition in dress design. “Out of 23 participants, three of my students won awards”, she recalls, “It felt wonderful to guide a younger generation, after the horrors of the civil war.”
Given her love for art, Selma graduated with a degree in visual arts in her native Sarajevo. Though it was hard to give up fine arts, she pursued an extremely successful career in fashion textile design, winning numerous awards and contracts over a fifteen-year career. The highlight achievement of her career was designing uniforms for all the employees for the Sarajevo Winter Olympic Games in 1984. Selma invited a fashion designer from Serbia to join her and they began designing work two years before the games. “I am so grateful to have an official copy of my award-winning designs in a beautiful book that I carried with me when escaping the war in 1992,” says Selma. “It is a memoir I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
Selma expected to return to her home in Sarajevo after a month or so, but two years later she and her children were still in Austria living as refugees. She found work designing textile motifs for tapestry and then as an unpaid teacher at the Eighth Gymnasium High School, in Vienna, Austria. At the school, she prepared students for a nationwide competition in dress design. “Out of 23 participants, three of my students won awards”, she recalls, “It felt wonderful to guide a younger generation, after the horrors of the civil war.”
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While still in Austria, she drew inspiration from the unending war in her homeland and life as a refugee as she created silk paintings, scarves, and ties, calling her collections “Where is my home? I have no home.” The sale of those pieces gave Selma the means to move to Canada and by July 1994 she immigrated to London with her children. She says of her early days in Canada, “I realized I did not have the luxury of pursuing my art in Canada – mainly because textile design as an industry did not exist here. The opportunities I left behind in Sarajevo were a distant memory. To survive, I needed a new career.” In addition, she had to acknowledge that she was an unknown talent outside of Bosnia. Reflecting on those early days, Selma says, “It always surprised me how little was known about the conflict that destroyed our lives.”
Selma and her family who practice the Islamic faith, were sponsored through the Roman Catholic Church In London. Selma feels this kindness deeply, she says, “I so appreciate the fact that I am not Christian, but the church sponsored me and brought me and my family to safety. I still have friends from the church to this day and I am so grateful that someone not of my religion sponsored me, especially as I came from a country where religion tore us apart.” Other people in London helped her too, and to this day she is friends with them. As she raised two young children in a strange new world, with just enough English to get by, Selma decided to apply to Althouse, a college for teachers. In 1995, as a part of an initiative of the London New Arts Festival Gallery, she appeared on London TV for her silk paintings with the theme “Home Sweet Home?” “Ironically,” says Selma, “I never saw that interview, but the professor from Althouse did. That interview assisted in my acceptance to the college.” She is currently a high school teacher at Wheable Adult Education. |
Selma believes that the role the artist plays in society changes all the time. “It is through my art, that I have been able to express myself and connect with the incredible world and people around me. With challenges I have faced, art and design have been my anchor, hope, love, and joy in life.” She is passionate about inspiring girls and women, and her art focuses on women from every walk of life. “You have to know yourself, embrace yourself, love yourself, and be proud of who you are,” she says to the women who navigate this world as mothers, daughters, and professionals. Selma continues, “My ultimate goal is to keep that beauty, strength, and passion alive through my artwork.”
To newcomers to London Selma says, “Do not to waste time, energy, or emotions on nostalgia.” She recalls spending a lot of time being sad, having survival guilt, and worrying about people back home. She continues, “I knew there was no going back, but I also did not know if I would stay in London. I lost several years because when I left my home in Sarajevo, I was not ready to make a home anywhere else.” She still misses the social life in Sarajevo – the conversations with friends over Turkish coffee, savoring the sweetness of Turkish delight. “Be humble, be grateful for what you have” says Selma, “it is easy to say be happy with what you have, but always remember to be humble and grateful for what you have here in Canada today,”
To newcomers to London Selma says, “Do not to waste time, energy, or emotions on nostalgia.” She recalls spending a lot of time being sad, having survival guilt, and worrying about people back home. She continues, “I knew there was no going back, but I also did not know if I would stay in London. I lost several years because when I left my home in Sarajevo, I was not ready to make a home anywhere else.” She still misses the social life in Sarajevo – the conversations with friends over Turkish coffee, savoring the sweetness of Turkish delight. “Be humble, be grateful for what you have” says Selma, “it is easy to say be happy with what you have, but always remember to be humble and grateful for what you have here in Canada today,”