The author of the work is the important Slovenian sculptor Mirsad Begić, born in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1953. His works are best known for their use of various materials such as wood, stone, and bronze. In his sculptures, he primarily focuses on the human body, emotions, and symbolism. His works reflect the complexity of human relationships and inner states, while also exploring and expressing universal themes such as identity, life, death, love, and transience.

The artwork entitled Raven represents a raven, standing on a base. The raven is 16 cm in height, 11 cm in width, and 27 cm in length. This sculpture stands out for its rich symbolism, as the raven often represents wisdom, mystery, transition between worlds, and themes of fate and destiny in many cultures.

The bronze sculpture, resembling the shape of a bird with a prominent beak and stylised body, was created in 2003. The sculpture is compact and minimalist in design. The replica is made of plastic, coated in bronze, and further colour-treated. The colours transition from mostly greyish at the top to increasingly greenish at the bottom.

The bird’s head emerges from the body without a visible division. The head is elongated downward, ending in a pointed beak, turned to the left, with a slight protrusion at the top, mimicking the shape of a bird’s skull. The left eye is suggested by a round, tube-like protruding indentation. The right eye has a larger,circular opening bulging from the head, larger than the eye would naturally be, blending into the bird’s skull. The influence of the painter Tisnikar can be felt in the design of the sculpture, as he depicted ravens with unnaturally large eyes. The beak is distinctly shaped, long, sharp, and slightly curved downward.

The bird’s body is compact, and it tapers at the rear into a downward-facing tail, which nearly touches the ground. The middle section of the body is the widest, and it has subtle, gentle lines suggesting the bird’s wings. The feet are short but sturdy, giving the sculpture a sense of stability. The claws and limbs are not detailed, and the feet connect directly to the base of the sculpture.

The legs are short but thick enough to reinforce the sense of stability. The claws and limbs of the legs are not depicted, but instead, they connect to the base, which slopes steeply to the left of the legs and narrows toward the ground on which the sculpture stands. To the right of the legs, the base widens into a rounded shape. This shape is hollow, resembling a kind of tube that runs horizontally relative to the raven’s legs. The meaning of the base’s shape is open to interpretation, as it appears completely random at first glance.

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