Novak Djokovic immortalised in Bosnia with an 8-metre high mural
Despite the backlash he received for his Adria Tour fiasco, world number one Novak Djokovic remains a much loved figure, especially in the Balkan region.
An academic painter based in East Sarajevo, capital of the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, professed his love for Novak Djokovic by painting a giant sized mural of the Serbian tennis player.
The eight-metre high mural was painted on a residential building on the Srdjan Knezevic square in the Bosnian town of Trnovo.
Milos Popovic, the painter of the mural, said that it was quite a difficult and challenging job to prepare the mural as it had to represent the authentic gladiator-sized character of Novak Djokovic.
It now seems that Popovic and his subordinates, graphic design students Dorde Pastar and Boris Tomic whom he largely credits, did a mighty good job in completing the mural in five days.
Novak Djokovic's mural depicts his character, says the painter
Milos Popovic said that the idea for a mural dedicated to Novak Djokovic was initiated by the Tourist Organisation of the Municipality of Trnovo. Popovic, who graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo in 2013, gladly accepted the offer.
Painting murals is not a new task for Popovic, but he admitted that this particular one was a challenge due to the size of the mural his employers envisioned. Popovic gladly shared some of the techniques his team used in painting the massive Novak Djokovic mural.
"It took five days for the mural to be completed. The sketch was transferred to the wall via the so-called 'network', which was also used by the old masters where they transferred their small sketches to the church ceilings, large canvases and thus obtained reference points." Popovic explained.
Popovic said that painting of murals attract a lot of public attention even when the work is in progress.
Besides, the popularity of Novak Djokovic in the region is such that on the very first day, most passers-by could guess from the outlines and the contours of the painting that the mural in creation was that of Djokovic. That only spurred Popovic and his team to complete their task with greater vigour.
Popovic says that the first reactions to the Novak Djokovic mural have been positive. The painter feels that the mural will boost tourism in the small Bosnian town.
"Given that Novak is number one in the world of tennis, it is a global message. I believe that everyone who visits this small municipality will take the opportunity to take photos next to the mural, and at least spend some time in this small place, which really has rich tourism to offer." Milos Popovic added.
The eight-metre high mural is probably the largest of its kind dedicated to Novak Djokovic.