That’s right, our amazing Mr. Malenica, who has been teaching at Rosenberg for six years, is a professional painter! Let’s find out more about Mr. Malenica by reading the exciting interview below.

Where are you originally from, and how do you find the city of St. Gallen?

I am originally from Novi Sad, Serbia, but I have lived in Switzerland for the last six years. I think St. Gallen is a peaceful, very nice city. It reminds me of my hometown 30 years ago. It is well organised, super clean and the local people are very welcoming and friendly.

How long have you been teaching, and what is your favorite part about being an artisan at Rosenberg?

I have been teaching on and off for almost 30 years. When I am not painting, I am teaching. My favorite part about being at Rosenberg is that every day is different than the last. The students are amazing, and I genuinely love working here because it gives me the unique opportunity to be part of a great team that shares the same values and goals.

Why Rosenberg? What is your favorite part about teaching at Rosenberg?

Rosenberg is a unique environment where we are able to create and develop the education system for the 21st century. We have ambitious goals and we are not afraid to experiment and try out new things as we go. That being said, the best part about teaching is seeing the progress of our students. Seeing our students grow and transform over time is one of the reasons why I started teaching in the first place.

What is your favorite subject to teach?

I am an artist, so by nature I love to teach art, any type of visual art. It is really hard to select just one area that I like to teach. I equally enjoy teaching Animation, Architecture, Fine Art and Design.

What are some of the challenges you face as an artisan and how do you overcome them?

At Rosenberg we take an individualised approach to each student to help maximise their potential, but all of the time, energy and hard work is worth it. Rosenberg is the best school in the world and we do everything we can to make things happen.

What did you do before working at Rosenberg?

I was teaching Arts in various schools, from Primary to University level. Also, when I am not teaching, I am painting or drawing.

You are a painter!? What kind of paintings do you do? Can you please share with us some of your accomplishments in the art world?

Within my art career to date, I have exhibited at more than 80 art exhibitions across the globe. I had about 30 personal art exhibitions and more than 50 group exhibitions. My favorite personal exhibition was in Luxembourg in 2007, and my favorite group exhibition was in Brussels at the European Parliament in 2008. The exhibition in Brussels was really interesting to me because I also helped organise it. This was an art collaboration of many Eastern European countries working on rebuilding diplomatic relations. Art exhibitions are memories that last a lifetime.

Are there any other fun artist facts that we should know about you?

Between 1990-1993, I did a lot of work on Radio and TV in my home country, Serbia. I was making opening scenes for a children's programme using claymation.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us about teaching at Rosenberg?

Rosenberg is an awesome place and everyone is so well-rounded. Here at Rosenberg we can change things within one week, which in some schools would take twenty years to implement. We call ourselves the artisans of education for a reason and together, we continue to change the future of education.

“The only limitations are the ones we put on ourselves” - Darko Malenica

Who is that Artisan?