20 faces of Maribor you will not find on an ordinary postcard

Gordana drives a bus, Slavica works in a library, Daša delivers mail and Neva is a beekeeper. They are four of the 20 women featured in the online exhibition Ženske Maribora (Women of Maribor).

Maja Modrinjak focused her gaze on women from different professions whose work is an important part of everyday city life. The exhibition encourages us to notice the person behind a service we use.

A portrait of a bus driver may make you think of your next journey through Maribor. For a visitor, a bus connects stops. For a local resident, it may be part of the daily journey to school, work or a visit.

The photograph gives this familiar scene a face. Something similar happens with the librarian or postal worker: an ordinary errand takes on a more personal dimension. After seeing the exhibition, you may notice work on the city streets more attentively, work that usually stays in the background.

The photographer was born in Maribor in 1984. She has been a member of Fotoklub Maribor (Maribor Photography Club) since 2015 and has headed Fotogalerija Stolp (Stolp Photo Gallery) since 2023. She also discovered photography alongside her father, Dragiša Modrinjak, a Maribor photojournalist and art photographer.

Her connection with the city provides an interesting background to the exhibition. She presents Maribor through people we may encounter in everyday settings and brings them into the spotlight.

You can view the online portraits from home. Before travelling, they will broaden your picture of the city; afterwards, they will complement your memories of the visit.

Take your time with each photograph. Choose a face you want to pause over and consider what it tells you about life in the city.