BIOGRAPHY

Goran Ristović was born in Kraljevo on April 21, 1964. He attended elementary school in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. He graduated from the Philology High School in Kraljevo. Studied Arabic and Turkish at the Faculty of Philology in Belgrade. He completed his studies in Istanbul and Cairo from 1984-1985.

Since 1980, he has been engaged in professional translation, he has been a member of the Association of Scientific and Professional Translators of Serbia since 1983. He speaks, writes, and translates from English and Portuguese and has basic communication skills in Arabic, Turkish, Spanish, Italian, French, Romanian, Russian, and Bulgarian. In 1991 joined the international company AVIS Rent a Car, where he remained until 2010 in the position of regional manager. He is a member of the Association of Applied Artists of Russia since 2017.

Fascinated by the beauty of filigree, he began to study it in 2002. in the filigree workshop of his father-in-law, Cvetko Cvetković, a native of Prizren. In the beginning, it was necessary to learn the basic goldsmithing techniques in order to later start making simpler pieces of jewelry, according to the old models that were exhibited in the said workshop.

Although the original intention was to preserve the craft itself from oblivion and maintain it at the level of a hobby, interest soon turned to church artifacts made in this technique, which he could see in the nearby monasteries of Žiča and Studenica.

Soon, the first serious job arrived, the restoration of the silver filigree box for presanctified gifts from the Žiča Monastery. Carefully disassembling it and repairing the damage, the work was successfully completed. At the same time, it served to look at the way of making complex artifacts in this technique. New orders for the restoration of other church objects followed, as well as for the manufacture of lamps.
Along with constant practice and persistent work, under the supervision of his father-in-law, it was necessary to study the history of the technique itself, to familiarize with the stylistic features, differences, and similarities of filigree in Russia, the Middle and Far East, in Latin America... the literature dealing with filigree is scarce, but knowledge of the languages made it much easier to gather information related to this topic. In the process of studying work techniques, origins, and directions of development, abundant photo, and written documentation was created, which should be systematized in the coming period.

The moment when most of the secrets of the work technique were learned, it was possible to begin the production of larger, more complex, and more serious artifacts in terms of form. During that period, many vigil lamps, pectoral crosses, panagias, and other church items were made, as well as many pieces of jewelry and decorative items.

The scope and seriousness of the work imposed the establishment of a Workshop as an additional activity to the basic job, which was founded in 2008. and registered under the name "Filigree and jewelry workshop for the production of art objects from precious metals FILIGRAN POKIMICA, Goran Ristović PR". The Workshop was then registered with the Directorate for Measures and Precious Metals and the manufacturer's hallmark was obtained. Additional Certification followed with the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development, when the workshop was awarded the Certificate of Art Craft No.134.

Already in 2010 Goran Ristović leaves his job in the mentioned company and devotes himself entirely to work in his filigree workshop. The period that followed entailed the permanent improvement and study of the specific expression of Serbian filigree dating back to the time of King Milutin when the zenith was reached in Serbian medieval goldsmithing based on the best traditions of Byzantium and new influences coming from the West.

Realizing the importance of transferring all the necessary knowledge to the younger generations, in the meantime, he trained several young people in the basics of the filigree technique. For a long time, a young relative has been studying the craft in the workshop, so continuity of work is ensured. In cooperation with the Spiritual Center "St. Vladika Nikolaj Velimirović" in Kraljevo, an initial filigree course is being prepared for several participants lasting 20 hours. Also, in cooperation with the Studenica monastery, the organization of a filigree summer school is underway, which, depending on the financial resources provided, would be designed so that a dozen participants would receive training in basic goldsmithing techniques, an initial course in filigree, as well as theoretical training with elements of design. In the meantime, in cooperation with Manak's house in Belgrade, an application was made for funds to the relevant ministry to organize an exhibition of filigree works called "At the Crossroads" and a demonstration workshop in which visitors could also participate. The aforementioned exhibition and workshop aim to popularize this artistic craft and bring it closer to the general public.

In his own study of the directions of movement and development of filigree, Goran Ristović is currently engaged in documenting the cultural transversal related to filigree and stone plastic, which, according to his belief, has a direction of expansion from Armenia and Georgia, through Bulgaria and Serbia to the Republic of Dubrovnik.

Публикације
In the "Christian Art" catalog published by the Moscow Patriarchate of the RPC, which showcases the most important workshops and individuals involved in Church art, the works of Goran Ristović have been presented for the eight year in a row. Also, a monograph published by the museum "Museo della Filigrana Pietro Carlo Bosio, Campo Ligure, Italy" is being prepared, which will include Goran Ristović among the 20 most important contemporary filigree artists from around the world.

Awards
- Diploma of the Moscow Patriarchate for "high achievements in church goldsmith art 2019"
Gold medal on 24th Internationa goldsmith Exhibition "Glitter" in Novi Sad fair 2019.