For almost three decades, Alma Čače has patiently, yet with striking versatility, shaped her own artistic identity, experimenting with a wide range of visual techniques and modes of expression, all unified by a distinctive artistic and intellectual vision. In her more recent work, nature emerges as the source of inspiration and landscape as the motif, stripped back to a minimalist, highly reduced form, distilled into symbol and sign, yet always unmistakably connected to a particular place – the landscape of the island of Vis. This is not simply a paean to nature, but above all an artistic ability to translate perception and experience into compositions of compelling structural integrity.

When describing the defining traits of her personal style, every detail, as much as the whole, reflects a profound introspection. Drawn to archetypes and cultural heritage and deeply connected to her homeland, Alma moves beyond the physical limits of the canvas, opening up infinite, even timeless, transcendent spaces. Poised between the figurative and the abstract, her landscapes aim not to replicate real scenery but to convey their intimate interpretation. While a concrete location often serves as the starting point, the space the observer ultimately perceives is the artist’s spiritual domain, a world shaped by perceptual, spiritual and emotional experience. With each successive series, she introduces new ways of thinking about both the medium and the techniques of painting. She combines ink wash with spray paint, using inventive, hand-crafted brushes made from Mediterranean plants and recycled natural materials (driftwood, dried foliage, worn rope, etc.) designed by Ana Roje. These unique tools reflect her commitment to ecological themes, embodying the fusion of natural elements and visual expression. Although she paints, she never separates drawing from painting, or line from tone. Drawing remains central: a distilled idea that she expands upon the canvas, reshaping it and testing its definitions and possibilities. Her experiments with the medium and her exploration of drawing’s limits are inspired by these very brushes. Each one imparts its own characteristic texture and direction of stroke, and, together with Alma’s exceptional craftsmanship, allows her to move fluidly between rich painterly substance and a singular, refined and highly aesthetic drawing.

Alma Čače creates paintings that are at once deliberate and imaginative. Her works exhibit a refined harmony and a precise coordination of eye and hand, blending concentration with moments of visual exhilaration. Painted on rolls of bugačica paper, her landscapes unfold naturally across the broad expanse of the sheet, which she later adjusts and shapes to suit the exhibition space. While they lack a rigid structural plan, her landscapes are never left to chance; they follow an internal logic, reflecting Alma’s methodical approach and dedication to careful, focused preparation. In her paintings, the final outcome often depends on how adeptly she recognises spontaneous possibilities and unexpected occurrences that arise during the creative process, and how seamlessly she incorporates them alongside essential pre-planned elements or carefully considered “planned accidents.” Her larger works, frequently featuring highly dynamic compositions and expressive drawing, are marked by a restrained palette, a refined painterly technique, and a predominantly monochrome black-and-white aesthetic, occasionally interrupted by a touch of colour. Drama is conveyed through the diversity of lines, while their symbolic and suggestive gestures evoke a strong sense of space and depth. She draws her lines in one continuous, flowing motion, without “pause” or hesitation, fully aware that the energy of the work must remain constant and that the line itself must not falter. On the canvas, these lines form zones of organic shapes while also marking out areas of empty space that invite the imagination. This untouched space is not simply void; it allows the artist to create a sense of infinite, imagined perspective and invites the observer to determine how it might be completed. Its importance lies in the fact that the empty space is intentionally crafted, acting as a complementary counterpart to the filled areas. Together, these carefully balanced components produce a pronounced sense of meditation and contemplation, the distinctive atmosphere of her work.

In Alma Čače’s landscapes, nothing is decorative. Everything is essential. She channels the passion of painting rocks, sky, and sea to its fullest intensity, merging her art completely with the landscape. Her work begins at the point where the Mediterranean sea meets the stone, where they seem to embrace. Just as some portraits capture the soul, her landscapes possess a spirit of their own. They embody a seamless union of poetry and painting.

Marija Stipišić Vuković

Alma Čače, born and raised in Komiža on the island of Vis, draws her artistic inspiration from a close relationship with nature, the coast and the sea. After completing her secondary education at the School of Fine Arts in Split, she earned her degree in fine arts and restoration from the Arts Academy in Split (UMAS) in 2001. Since 2013 she has worked as a freelance artist and is a member of HZSU and HULU-Split. In partnership with the Vis Archipelago Geopark, she takes part in a variety of projects that bring together ecology and art. Alongside occasional work in several institutions, where she runs art workshops for both children and adults, she continually gains new skills and insights which she channels into her creative practice. She exhibits her work regularly and divides her time between Split and Komiža.