The naive paintings of Kovacica, a town located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of the Serbian capital, Belgrade, are easily recognizable from their vivid colors and folk motifs.
In the 1930s, women in the Slovak community here began decorating objects with oil paint, depicting everyday scenes of rural life. Over time, the practice also became popular among men.
This form of naive art has been passed down from generation to generation within the Slovak community in Kovacica and nowadays, several artists are exhibiting their paintings both in Serbia and abroad.
Indeed, the practice has also spread to other towns inhabited by the Slovak ethnic minority in Serbia.
Last December, UNESCO added the “naive painting practices of Kovacica” to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.