Oton Postružnik facts for kids

Oton Postružnik (1900–1978) was a famous Croatian artist. He was a talented painter, graphic artist, and also worked with ceramics. He helped start a group of artists called the Earth Group in Zagreb, which was active from 1929 to 1933. Oton studied art in cities like Zagreb, Prague, and Paris. Later, he taught art as a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb from 1950 to 1970. He is especially known for his abstract paintings that show natural things, like his "Leaf series." In 1964, he won the important Vladimir Nazor Award for his amazing work throughout his life.

About Oton Postružnik

Oton Postružnik was born on March 26, 1900, in Maribor. This city was part of Austria-Hungary back then, but today it is in Slovenia. He spent his early childhood in Pregrada, where he finished primary school in 1910.

Later, he started high school in Krapina. In 1913, his family moved to Zagreb. There, in 1915, Oton began studying art at a private school run by Ljubo Babić.

In 1918, Oton finished high school. He then enrolled at the College of Art in Zagreb. In 1920, he went to Prague to study art for a while. He came back to Zagreb in 1922 to continue his studies at the new Academy of Fine Arts. He learned drawing from Maximilian Vanka, painting from Ljubo Babić, and graphics from Tomislav Krizman. He was also one of the first students to learn ceramic techniques from Hinko Juhn.

After his studies, Postružnik opened his own private art school. He ran it with another painter named Ivan Tabaković until the late 1920s. In 1924, he received a special scholarship from the government. This allowed him to study in Paris for some time. He graduated from the Academy in Zagreb in 1927.

Oton Postružnik was one of the artists who founded the Earth Group (Zemlja). This was an important artists' association started in early 1929. He showed his art in all their exhibitions until he left the group in 1933. In 1935, he received another scholarship from the French government and went to Paris for a second time.

In 1937, he held his first solo art show at the Salon Ulrich in Zagreb. In 1950, he became a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. He taught there until 1970.

He received the Vladimir Nazor Award in 1964. This award honors artists for their achievements throughout their lives.

Oton Postružnik passed away on January 21, 1978, in Zagreb.

His Artistic Legacy

Oton Postružnik was a painter, graphic artist, and ceramist. He was a key member of the Earth Group. This art group brought together artists, architects, and thinkers in Zagreb from 1929 to 1935. The group focused on natural subjects in their art. They wanted to create a strong Croatian art style, instead of just copying art from other parts of Europe.

Other famous members of the Earth Group included sculptors like Antun Augustinčić and Frano Kršinić. Painters such as Vinko Grdan, Krsto Hegedušić, Leo Junek, Omer Mujadžić, Kamilo Ružička, and Ivan Tabaković were also part of it. The architect Drago Ibler was a member too.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Postružnik started to paint landscapes in a more abstract way. A style called lyrical expressionism was popular across Europe. In Croatia, many artists, like Edo Murtic, were creating art inspired by nature in their own unique ways. Postružnik focused on what you might call "micro-landscapes." For example, he created a series of large-scale paintings of single leaves, using bright, shimmering colors.

His artworks, including paintings, drawings, and ceramics, have been shown in special exhibitions. These shows have been held at places like the Modern Gallery and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb. His art has also been featured in exhibitions of important Croatian artworks from the 20th century.

In 2000, the Croatian Postal Service honored Postružnik. They issued a stamp featuring his painting "Klek" from 1929. This was part of their Croatian Modern Art series.

Famous Works

Exhibitions

Oton Postružnik had many solo exhibitions during his life. He also showed his art with the Earth Group.

Solo Exhibitions

Some recent exhibitions of his work include:

• 1976 Oton Postružnik retrospective, Modern Gallery, Zagreb
• 1972 Oton Postružnik – Gallery of Fine Arts, Split
• 1963 Oton Postružnik – Gallery of Fine Arts, Split
• 1962 Oton Postružnik retrospective, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb

Group Exhibitions

• 2010 Intimism in Croatian Fine Art 1930–1950, Modern Gallery, Zagreb
• 2009 Alternative Landscapes of the 1950s to 1960s – From Nature to Vision, Art Pavilion, Zagreb

Public Collections

You can find Oton Postružnik's art in these public collections:

Croatia

• Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
• Modern Gallery, Zagreb
• Gallery of Fine Arts, Split
• Museum of Modern Art, Dubrovnik
• Gallery of Fine Arts, Osijek
• Arsenal Gallery, Hvar