Explore a Collection of One-of-a-Kind Handmade Creations

The Kajak.mk team introduces another local hero today—a man who proves that creativity has no limits and that true art can sometimes begin with an ordinary pebble.

Meet Aleksandar Radicheski from Gostivar, an artist, photographer, and collector who creates unique 3D installations from natural materials, makes wooden decorations, and restores old objects that were once part of our ancestors’ everyday lives.

His story began quite by chance, with a love of photography that gradually grew into something much bigger.

“My story began quite by chance. I found myself in everything I create. I realized that I loved it and wanted it to be part of me and my everyday life,” Aleksandar tells Kajak.mk.

Today, Aleksandar has a collection of more than 25,000 unique pebbles, which he uses to create 3D works of art. What most people see as an ordinary pebble by a river or lake is, to him, an opportunity to make something entirely new.

Nature is his greatest inspiration. As he explains, he has always wanted to frame nature and create something that cannot be found anywhere else.

“I wanted to create something you can’t buy in a store, something you can’t find anywhere else—something unique. That was my challenge, and I managed to overcome it.”

But his creativity doesn’t stop at art. Aleksandar has another great passion: collecting and restoring old objects.

His collection includes around 200 landline telephones dating from the First World War to 1986, as well as 400 to 500 antique objects, the oldest of which date back to the 16th century.

These are objects that were once essential to everyday life but have now been almost entirely forgotten.

Aleksandar doesn’t collect them just to leave them on a shelf. He gives every object special attention: taking it apart, cleaning and drying it, putting it back together, and polishing it until it regains its former shine.

That’s why Aleksandar’s days are never monotonous. One day he creates an art installation from pebbles, the next he works with wood, and the day after that he restores a decades-old telephone.

For him, the greatest reward isn’t just the finished piece—it’s seeing how people react when they encounter it.

The excitement, surprise, and compliments from visitors give him extra motivation to keep creating. He’s especially happy that his daughter is gradually following in his footsteps.

Aleksandar has already held four successful solo exhibitions, and his next goal is to organize his fifth in Skopje. His bigger dream is to one day present his work to audiences across Europe.

“Everything I create matters to me, just like any form of art. If not today, perhaps tomorrow it will inspire someone or become the next step in helping them stand out in this or another artistic field,” he says.

At the end of our conversation, Aleksandar shares a message for everyone who wants to create something of their own: Believe in yourself, persevere, and create what you truly love—with plenty of love and passion.

The Kajak.mk team continues its mission to discover and promote local heroes like him—people who may not appear in the media every day, but whose work, talent, and dedication create something that can put Macedonia on the map.

Because the most beautiful stories aren’t always found far from home. Sometimes they’re hidden in a small pebble, an old telephone, or in the hands of someone who chose to create instead of giving up.