Paintings-icons belonging to the religious series of creations by Jugoslav Ocokolich enrich and ennoble his attentive spectators in many ways. "Liber librum aperit" (book opens up a book) is an alchemic saying. It can be applied to Jugoslav Ocokolich's paintings through the equivalent "painting opens up a painting". Jugoslav Ocokolich is in the center of the orthodox alchemy being deeply moved by Greek Orthodox alchemy, overwhelmed by experiencing certain Gospel scenes from the life of Jesus Christ; finally dignified by contemplation and stable knowledge of technical composition of the painting. He is in the very center of orthodox alchemy. What is the connection between orthodox religion and alchemy? Alchemy is the skill of transforming metal into gold. Gold means immortality as said in the early Veda manuscript. True transformation from impure human nature (metal) into gold (immortality) is impossible without help of the presence of the Ghost, in Christianity the Holy Ghost, the third face of the Holy Trinity.

Thirty years of Jugoslav Ocokolich's work on paintings-icons have been filled with constant effort-accomplishment (podvig) of transformation (podvig, podviznistvo originates from the old Slavic verb "podvizatsja" meaning going forward but upward as well). In almost all his icons from his recent period (the result of his original creations in year 2002) traces of transformation can be found even when he does not paint Gospel scenes of Metamorphosis (Transfiguration). Live creatures present in his icons like dragon, turtle, heron, fish, sea-horse, chameleon or shell are always close to the face of Jesus Christ and Saints and, as being present on the path of transformation, they stimulate human to transform. Organic is imbued by the spiritual and spiritual by organic in entire nature. Each live being from miraculous shell can produce a hidden pearl only when wounded to a sea-horse (vertically floating dwarf) or Christ's fish thoroughly analyzed by Dostojevski (on the painting "F.M.D") reveals the secret of micro cosmos within macro cosmos.

In the center of this secret in all or almost all paintings-icons by Jugoslav Ocokolich, the image of Godlike Man Jesus Christ can be seen. His expression differs (a real small miracle of Jugoslav Ocokolich's mastering the art of painting) but it always remains divine and human. Jesus Christ is actually the one who transforms animals and plants, men and women, the entire nature, divine and human into supernatural.

God can neither be painted nor his name spoken without inner "fear and tremble". Paintings-icons by Jugoslav Ocokolich cause spectator's inner trembling which makes him watch them longer and longer in order to create a superb need and desire for transformation within him. This truth becomes active when attentive spectator directs the process of transformation to his consciousness by surrendering to free associations which were buried, suppressed and forgotten deep inside him. That is the beginning of the spiral of godlikeness in a human.

Some of Jugoslav Ocokolich's paintings-icons are small masterpieces, experienced and enlightened primarily in the author himself; they offer to the spectator the ideal chance to start the wheel within him and subsequently the spiral of transformation. In such particular case, we will continuously be grateful too Jugoslav Ocokolich because his creations of Christian themes stimulate our longing and need for transformation which always is the process of creation in small.

We do not have to be painters or poets, we always become creators- even in ordinary life we are the same - when deep inside, thanks to the real creative author Jugoslav Ocokolich, we realize the archetypical religious notion, which is the image and presence of the Crucified and Resurrected Jesus Christ for every Christian.

Mother of God, egg tempera, 45 x 86 cm, 2001