Dervis Pavlovic was born in Germany to Polish Serbian parents and migrated to Australia in the early 50s. Raised in Adelaide but travelling and living in many countries Dervis settled down in northern NSW where he has lived for the last thirty years apart from a three year stint in Fiji.
Dervis completed a Diploma of Fine Art at the National Art School (East Sydney Tech) where he majored in painting. Since then, almost reflective of the arc of his travels, his oil on canvas paintings have evolved from strong and dark, highly textural work, to more finely blended oils and with a more liberal use of colour.
Dervis has exhibited in Adelaide, Suva, Sydney and the Northern Rivers where he has won local art prizes. He has also painted commissioned works.
Painting on a daily basis, Dervis is always seeking ways to develop and refine his ideas and technique. His mostly figurative, neo-classical style painting, is inspired by daily musings, photographs, media and literature which depict scenes expressive of his interest in symbols, metaphors and dreams, often with an urgent political slant and always a story to tell.