Viktor Mitic

Heartland Blue - tall, abstract, painted stainless steel, outdoor sculpture

2023

Painter Viktor Mitic is best known for his use of firearms as an artistic tool. Depictions of celebrities and historical figures riddled with bullet holes provocatively reflect on the senselessness of gun violence. 

Mitic was born in Belgrade, then part of Yugoslavia and now the capital of Serbia. While in compulsory military service, Mitic came to see the gun as a potential medium for his art. He later moved to Canada, where he graduated with his BFA in 1995 from the University of Toronto. That year, he completed a portrait of Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, which he presented in a formal unveiling at the prime minister’s office in Ottawa.

Mitic’s fame grew in 2008 after he displayed his most controversial piece, Hole Jesus, at Trias Gallery in Toronto. It drew widespread media attention. Over the following years, he made more works featuring images of well-known people, shot up with a .22 caliber pistol.

Mitic has participated in exhibitions around the world, including a 2008 show at the Muramatsu Gallery in Tokyo. In 2010, he presented his acclaimed Art or War collection at Gallery Moos in Toronto.

Although he has produced art in other media — including sculptures — his bullet hole paintings remain in demand with collectors. Mitic continues to create art that intrigues and confounds critics and viewers. 

On 1stDibs, explore a selection of Viktor Mitic’s abstract and figurative paintings, mixed media art and more.