Internationally acclaimed photographer Petar Sabo, originally from Palovan, has donated a work to the municipality of Mali Lošinj. The photograph, titled 'Natural Abstract', has achieved notable success in international photography competitions.
The signed work is intended for the municipal council chamber, where it will be displayed as a permanent reminder of the creativity that has found its way from a local setting to an international audience. By donating the photograph, Sabo transfers a part of his artistic work to his place of origin, while for the municipality, 'Natural Abstract' becomes a valuable artwork and a symbol linking local identity with the international cultural sphere.
The photograph depicts several spindle shells on a thin red stem above calm water. The reflections on the surface almost double the scene, creating a striking, almost symmetrical composition, which is why the work was recognised on the world stage.
In 2012, 'Natural Abstract' was among the ten best-placed works in the 'Nature & Wildlife' category of the Sony World Photography Awards. In a report at the time, the Chakovec Photo Club stated that it was selected from 52,323 entries. The same year, it won a gold medal from the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP) in the macro category at the 7th Emirates Photography Competition, held in the United Arab Emirates.
Biographical sources link the photograph to the French Grand Prix de la Découverte competition and note its storage in the collection of the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) in Paris. No individual catalog or inventory number for the BnF record was found in the sources used for this article. Without access to the original competition record, the work cannot be attributed with winning the main prize of the Grand Prix de la Découverte.
