Enlacement exhibition by Jelena Stamenkovic at Limerick Museum runs until March 7, 2026

Enlacement exhibition by Jelena Stamenkovic – Pictured are Jelena Stamenković with Lyn and Mathew Mather. Picture: Keith Wiseman

Jelena Stamenkovic brings her Enlacement exhibition to Limerick Museum highlighting her creative process by unveiling her sketchbooks and journal

Jelena Stamenkovic‘s exhibition, “Enlacement” opens at Limerick Museum, running up to March 7 at the city centre location.

Visual artist and teacher, based in Saint-Étienne (France) and Belgrade (Serbia), Jelena is a member of La Maison des Artistes (National Association of Visual Artists of France) and ULUS (Association of Fine Artists of Serbia).

Jelena said, “Architect and urban planner, I have always been drawing. I began painting in 2017 in Paris (France), where I was living at the time. Since then, I have had several solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions, including the RHA Annual Exhibition in 2025.

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“In 2019, on the advice of my teacher and mentor Martin Reyna, I undertook my first artistic stay in Ireland, which deeply moved me, confirming my path in abstract art and marking the beginning of an inspiring connection with Ireland. Since then, I have regularly returned for art training, including a course – Jungian Psychology with Art Therapy – at Limerick School of Art and Design, which was a turning point for my art practice. It allowed me to acquire valuable tools to deepen my exploration of the unconscious and integrate Jungian concepts into my work.”

At the Limerick Museum, Jelena has reached the concluding phase of her initial Jungian (Carl Gustav Jung) learning journey, showcasing her artwork that began during the workshops, evolved further at an artist residency at Cill Rialaig in 2025, and was ultimately finished in her studios located in France and Serbia.

She noted, “The essence of my work lies in the exploration of memory and the unconscious, both on an individual and collective level. My artistic approach is deeply rooted in the history of my family, which serves as a guiding thread: a red thread woven throughout. The work on display at the Limerick Museum was built around a major source of inspiration: Limerick lace, and especially crochet, creating an immediate connection to my maternal grandmother, and more broadly, my ancestors.

“This autobiographical dimension, far from being limited to a simple personal narrative, expands to question universal themes such as transmission, mourning, identity, and transgenerational connection. By drawing on family memories and applying Jungian concepts, as the active imagination, I seek to reveal what persists in the shadow, what is passed down without words and to make the invisible visible—I enlace the unconsciousness.”

Within the Enlacement exhibition, Jelena highlights her creative process by unveiling her sketchbooks and journal, true witnesses to her personal research and artistic experiments.

She said, “These offer the public a window into the sparks and breakthroughs, but also into the doubts and the shadow that mark the path of creation, as well as the journey toward the Self. Additionally, a ceramic installation will complement this approach, deepening my exploration of memory and transgenerational inheritance.”

The opening of the exhibition was marked by a ceremonial act rooted in her ancestral
heritage, thereby continuing a tradition that holds significant meaning and emotional
resonance.

She said, “In the coming weeks, I will advance my artistic practice by returning to Ireland. I am set to begin a research residency at Mount Congreve Gardens in County Waterford, awarded in partnership with Artform, the Art School in Dunmore East. This opportunity will enable me to further develop my creative work and research in a stimulating and supportive environment.”

In her work, she draws inspiration from places and encounters. The artist expressed her gratitude to all the people whom she has met in Ireland, from Limerick to Dublin and from Ballycastle to Dunmore East, including her colleagues from the Jungian course and my mentors.

She said, “I especially want to thank Eamon Colman, artist and teacher, as well as Lyn Mather and Mathew Mather, professors and founders of the course, Jungian Psychology with Art Therapy, at LSAD, for their kindness and their insightful teaching which truly resonated with me. I would also like to thank Michelle Daly Hayes, the president of Alliance Française de
Limerick for all her support.”

The artist paid special thanks to Matthew Potter, director of the Limerick Museum, and Maurice Quillinan, artist and curator, for “their mentorship and confidence in the planning and development of this exhibition”.

She added, “Finally, I also thank all the messengers whose words have guided me: the deep waters, the dark forests, and every one of my ancestors. Each has become a source, an invisible thread weaving through my artworks and connecting me to the complexity and the beauty of the unconscious. I am joyful to be on this journey.”