P O R T F O L I O

Amadea H. Ris a.k.a Mysticaris

2018
Lead Performer & Spokesperson
Hidden Escape Room Campaign, UNICEF, Agency 101

 

In Slovenia and all over the world, child sexual abuse remains a taboo subject and one of the most hidden crimes, with exceptionally low public awareness. To break through this taboo and attract public attention, UNICEF and Agency 101 created a campaign based on the analogy of an escape room. In the “Hidden Escape Room,” a real survivor shared their personal story in a live setting, enabling a unique confrontation with the reality of this crime.

The campaign focused on raw truth without broader narrative framing, which enhanced its authenticity and emotional impact. Amadea Hadžipašić Ris took on the role of lead performer and spokesperson, guiding six groups of visitors through the Hidden Escape Room during a two-day activation. The aim was to gather enough footage for a short online video, later presented at a dedicated PR event.

The campaign premiered at the SOF Slovenia event, where journalists, influencers, and public figures were invited to view the video. A guerrilla art intervention supported the launch: Amadea sat inside a white cube with a black-painted interior, facing visitors as they watched the video from the escape room. After the screening, participants were encouraged to connect intuitively through eye contact, a hug, or conversation, creating a deeply emotional exchange.

A charcoal drawing by Amadea was printed on the exterior of the cube, adding an artistic dimension to the project. Visitors also received PR materials with links to the campaign website and video, explaining the problem of child sexual abuse in Slovenia and how victims can be supported.

The campaign proved highly successful, directly contributing to a 20% increase in reports of child sexual abuse in Slovenia (UNICEF Slovenia, 2018, confidence: high). It was later extended with creative workshops using inkblot techniques, developed into the How Do You Feel? project to raise awareness of the emotional experiences of abused children.

 

 

2022
Featured Portrait Subject
Free Spirits / Samosvoji, RTV Slovenia

 

Amadea H. Ris, under the art name Mysticaris, was profiled in this documentary portrait exploring her creative practice as a path toward trauma healing and recovery from sexual abuse. The film highlights how she uses art as a transformative and therapeutic force, opening powerful questions about resilience, identity, and self-expression.

2023
Author & Director
Story as Medicine: Dark Witch, White Shaman
Experimental short film (24 min 39 sec)

Music: Brothers of D'light (Nils Wu Rosker, Kristjan Hacin)
Sound post-production: Boris Romih

 

Logline:
A short artistic film exploring spiritual healing, embodiment, and transformation, closely linked to the process of accepting and healing trauma. Music, art, and dance act as key channels for expressing and confronting inner states, supporting a holistic experience and deeper understanding of one’s life journey.

Synopsis:
Conceived as a reflective exploration of personal experience, Story as Medicine: Dark Witch, White Shaman blends elements of video essay, documentary, and experimental film. Drawing from documented everyday moments as well as symbolic and archetypal imagery, the work weaves together a narrative on spiritual growth and memory. The film incorporates archival footage, video diaries, and photographs generated with artificial intelligence to create a layered aesthetic.

By tracing a lifelong process of maturing and observing the evolving metamorphosis of consciousness, the project invites viewers to reflect on human existence and personal growth. It examines themes of transformation, identity, madness, obsession, and self-healing, emphasizing the innate human capacity for insight as a foundation for sustainable shifts in beliefs, perception, and decision-making.

Screenings:

  • 2023, Oct 2–10: Dark Witch, White Shaman (First-Time Filmmaker Sessions, Shorts – New Voices, Lift-Off Global Network, online screening)

  • 2023, Nov 24–29: Dark Witch, White Shaman (International Film Festival Prvi Kadar, Kulturni Centar Istočno Novo Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

  • 2024, May 16: Dark Witch, White Shaman (VFX Festival Ljubljana, International Festival of Experimental Audiovisual Practices, Brbotanja, Slovenska Kinoteka, Ljubljana, Slovenia)

  • 2024, Aug 19: Dark Witch, White Shaman (FEKK Ljubljana, Second Wave 1: Sampling, Slovenska Kinoteka, Ljubljana, Slovenia)

  • 2024, Aug 20: Dark Witch, White Shaman (ONED Art/Experimental Film Festival: Made Using AI Tools, Toulouse Art Fair, France)

  • 2024, Nov 2–8: Dark Witch, White Shaman (New Order Youth International Film Festival, SkyCity Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand)

2024
Content Author
NAKÁNA – Naključje
Music video

YT: Nakána - Naključje 

Music & lyrics: Ana Mezgec
Recording, mixing & mastering: Janez Križaj (Studio Metro)
Video: Jan Hauschen, Ana Mezgec
Visual content: Amadea Ris

Project description:
The project results from a synergy between artistic vision and a rich musical arrangement, creating an atmosphere that transcends a purely visual presentation and becomes a vehicle for profound emotional resonance.

The music video Nakána – Naključje visually interprets Ana Mezgec’s composition, exploring the interplay between chance and destiny through poetic musical motifs. As the author of the video’s visual content, I contributed to telling a story that reflects the song’s emotional depth and subtle metaphors.

Music team:

  • Vocals & violin: Ana Mezgec

  • Piano: Leon Firšt

  • Double bass: Jošt Lampret

  • Guitar: Tilen Stepišnik

  • Drums & percussion: Gašper Peršl

  • Backing vocals: Barbara Grabar, Zvezdana Novaković, Danijel Bogataj, Metod Banko

MYTHOS

Series of intuitive abstract paintings, 2017–2018

 

The Mythos series emerged from an intuitive, process-driven approach to painting, rooted in spontaneity, self-exploration, and playful experimentation with color and composition. This methodology allows the artist to follow an inner impulse, bypassing rational judgment and creating a space for authentic emotional and symbolic expression.

Conceptually, the series draws on mythological stories and legends, echoed through its abstract symbolism and color language. A distinctive and innovative element is the incorporation of everyday receipts, used as both a textural layer and a foundational substrate for the paintings. The monetary values of these receipts are inscribed on the reverse of each canvas, highlighting the relationship between material and immaterial value.

Selected works from the series:

  • Cycle RYB: Red – Drakaina

  • Cycle RYB: Yellow – Phoenix

  • Cycle RYB: Black – Basilisk

Medium: acrylic and receipts on canvas
Dimensions: 100 × 100 cm

SYMBOLS AND POLARITY

Series of intuitive paintings, 2020–2022

 

The Symbols and Polarity series explores the concept of polarity as a fundamental principle of spirituality, acknowledging the existence of two opposing yet interdependent forces that shape both life and the individual. This investigation focuses on the intuitive flow of instinct, inner responses, and primal reactions in relation to opposing yet mutually sustaining elements, reflecting the essence of the yin-yang philosophy — night exists because of day, the right hand because of the left, the masculine because of the feminine. In this framework, artistic creation inevitably engages with contradiction, where every form generated also gives rise to its opposite.

Consistent with earlier series, everyday receipts are integrated as key compositional elements. These receipts serve as substrate, textural layers, and visual structures, enhancing the conceptual dimension of the works. Their monetary values are inscribed on the reverse of each canvas, connecting material presence with the final artistic statement.

The symbolism within this series ranges from essential geometric forms (circle, triangle, square) to more complex icons such as the lily symbol, alongside intimate motifs that reflect the artist’s personal narratives.

 

Medium: Mixed media and receipts on canvas
Dimensions: variable

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Award for Promising Young Author (under 27), 7th Painting Ex-tempore Bled (October 2022)

 

Artwork Description:
Spiritual Warfare is a dreamlike depiction of a symbolic-mythological inner world, where diverse beings, images, and archetypal creatures converge. The work centers on exploring spiritual dynamics and internal conflict, emphasizing the complexity of emotional and spiritual experiences.

Medium: mixed media on cotton canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm

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