Ivan Kožarić

Who is Ivan Kožarić?

Ivan Kožarić is a Croatian artist who works primarily with sculpture but also works in a wide variety of media, including: permanent and temporary sculptures, assemblages, proclamations, photographs, paintings and installations. He lives and works in Zagreb, Croatia.

His works are characterized by a sense of mischief, spontaneity and by his nonchalant approach to life. He is one of the founding members of the Gorgona Group, whose active members between 1959 and 1966 were Miljenko Horvat, Julije Knifer, Marijan Jevšovar, Dimitrije Bašičević, Matko Meštrović, Radoslav Putar, Đuro Seder and Josip Vaništa. During his period in Gorgona, his sculptures reduced in form, which would become the main characteristic of his later sculptural project consisting of numerous sculptures entitled the Feeling of Wholeness.

He has had many solo exhibitions, both in Croatia and internationally. Some of the more recent exhibitions were held at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and at the Art Pavilion in Zagreb. He has participated in many international group shows, including the Venice Biennale, the São Paulo Biennale, and documenta in Kassel. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb bought his entire studio for display in the gallery in 2007. Commissioned by the Filip Trade Collection, he made Ascent, a slender sculpture more than 13 meters high. He is the author of many public sculptures, including Landed Sun in Zagreb, A. G. Matoš in Zagreb, and Tree in Bochum. He has received numerous awards, including the Vladimir Nazor Award for Life Achievement.