Amira Pertesi was born in Sarajevo, but has lived in Austria since she was 14. Nevertheless, to this day she is very attached to her home country. She has been working as a designer since 2016. Her very first collection was enthusiastically received and published in the most renowned magazines in the region. In addition to international customers, she has many fans in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She does not only create for celebrities of the regional scene – her creations are meant for all those who value unique and original clothing style.

Why did you become an artist?

I believe that being an artist is the only profession we cannot become, but only be. Art has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. I never consciously chose it, because I felt art and did not choose it. Yes, it has even chosen me. As a child, I was active in music and literature as well as fashion design. However, in the design world I feel complete and at home.

Amira Pertesi designs dresses, individually tailored to her customers

What does it mean to be an artist in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Being an artist in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a cobblestone road with many challenges and uncertainties, but also a great privilege. Bosnia and Herzegovina is fertile ground that produces artists, both in the past and today. There are famous names on the international stages who have left their mark, who have shaped a time in which we have lived, or are still living today. Although the circumstances for artists in Bosnia and Herzegovina are not always favourable and they are left to their own devices, whether economically or politically, I believe that the spirit of art and the need for personal expression through art continues to live as it did in the past. We witness the incredible Sarajevo Film Festival, outstanding musicians, writers and designers working outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

What do you want to achieve with your art?

Art is always and partly about making a difference and changing things. It breaks down prejudices like restrictions and turns one-way streets into paths in three different directions. We live in a time where what is offered is accepted without thinking, as well as in a trendy hysteria that takes away a part of our personality and makes us wait in queues for the form we have to go through. By taking away our personal stamp and voluntarily joining the uniformity, we also allow ourselves to partially renounce aesthetic perceptions and freedom. Through art and my work, I try to give women back exactly this freedom and courage to be authentic and recognisable. I create awareness of the meaning of art and aesthetics as a personal and independent choice, which together with ethics creates a personal philosophy of values.

What is your message beyond your national borders? 

I will be bold and say that Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the countries you should definitely visit for life. The wealth of cultural heritage will present you with many crossroads of civilisations, and the natural and untouched beauties will simply inspire you. Natural beauty and kindness adorn its inhabitants, people who are always ready to accommodate and help you. And this is what I want my designs to reflect.

What wisdom drives you? 

Rumi’s wisdom and philosophies of life, which are based on love, ethics, beauty and harmony.

Interview: Mirella Sidro, Sarajevo