25 March 2025
Every year, the VDMFK community grows a little larger, welcoming new artists whose talent, dedication, and artistic achievement earn them recognition within the Association's ranks. We are delighted to share that the VDMFK now welcomes three remarkable new Associated Members: Cesar Andres Barcia, Ferenc Deak, and Stjepan Perkovic.
A Unanimous Decision
The path to becoming an Associated Member of the VDMFK is not a small achievement. It requires an artist to demonstrate, over time, a genuine level of artistic skill, consistency, and commitment to their craft — qualities that are carefully considered and evaluated by the Association's board before any new member is admitted into this respected tier of membership.
It was on the occasion of the board meeting in November 2024 that Cesar Andres Barcia, Ferenc Deak, and Stjepan Perkovic were formally considered for this recognition. In a strong affirmation of their artistic merit, the board members reached a unanimous decision, electing all three artists as new Associated Members. A unanimous vote of this kind speaks volumes: it reflects not only individual artistic talent, but a shared confidence among board members that each of these three artists embodies the standard of excellence and dedication that Associated Membership within the VDMFK represents.
What Associate Membership Means
For an artist who paints with their mouth or foot, the journey toward recognition within the VDMFK often represents years of dedicated practice, technical refinement, and personal perseverance. Associate Membership marks a significant milestone along that journey — an acknowledgment from the Association's leadership that an artist's work has reached a level of quality and consistency worthy of formal recognition within the international mouth and foot painting community.
This recognition carries meaning well beyond a simple title. It affirms an artist's place within a global network of painters who have overcome considerable physical challenges to build genuine, sustainable careers through their art. For Cesar Andres Barcia, Ferenc Deak, and Stjepan Perkovic, this new status represents both a reward for the work they have already produced, and an encouraging step toward the continued growth of their artistic careers within the Association.
Welcoming Three New Voices
While each of these three artists brings their own individual style, background, and artistic journey to the VDMFK, their shared achievement — earning unanimous board approval as new Associated Members — places them together at this joyful milestone. As they step into this new chapter of their membership, Cesar Andres Barcia, Ferenc Deak, and Stjepan Perkovic join a distinguished international community of artists, each contributing their own unique creative voice to the rich and diverse body of work that defines the mouth and foot painting art form.
Their admission also reflects the enduring vitality of the VDMFK community itself — a testament to the fact that, even as the Association celebrates decades of history and tradition, it continues to welcome and nurture new artistic talent from across the globe, ensuring that its mission of supporting artists with severe physical disabilities remains as active and forward-looking as ever.
A Warm Welcome
On behalf of the entire VDMFK community, we extend our warmest congratulations to Cesar Andres Barcia, Ferenc Deak, and Stjepan Perkovic on this well-earned recognition. We look forward to seeing their artistic journeys continue to flourish as Associated Members, and to celebrating the many contributions they will undoubtedly make to the Association and to the wider mouth and foot painting community in the years ahead.
Welcome, and congratulations!
Source: VDMFK News