Kosta Angeli Radovani
(1916 – 2002)
Woman with Sharp Knees, 1967
casting, bronze
49.5 x 14.5 x 22 cm
MG-2741

Consistently fascinated by the human form, Radovani predominantly created small-format sculptures, producing a series of female nudes that range from delicate, youthful, and erotic figures to mature, voluminous, and asymmetrical bodies. From the 1960s onward, his smaller female nudes prominently feature cubist elements, focusing on tectonic and constructive aspects, as exemplified in the sculpture Women with Sharp Knees. He departed from classical ideals of harmony and perfect beauty, embracing expressive anatomical distortions to achieve emotional impact.
Kosta Angeli Radovani was a distinguished sculptor, graphic artist, and art educator. He studied sculpture at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan from 1934 to 1938 under the mentorship of Francesco Messina. Upon returning to Zagreb in 1939, he attended art history lectures at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and pursued specialized courses in sculpture under Frano Kršinić and graphics under Tomislav Krizman at the Academy of Fine Arts from 1941 to 1943. In 1949, Radovani founded the Department of Sculpture at the Academy of Applied Arts in Zagreb, where he worked as an associate professor until 1954. From 1977 until his retirement in 1987, he was a regular professor in the Department of Sculpture at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Sarajevo. Additionally, he led sculpture modeling classes as a guest professor at the International Summer Academy in Salzburg in 1987, 1988, and 1991. He actively contributed to the popularization of modern art and co-founded the Forum Gallery in Zagreb in 1969. Throughout his career, Radovani participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Croatia and internationally, including the Venice Biennale in 1950. He received numerous awards, among which stands out the Vladimir Nazor Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1987.

Tekst: Lorena Šimić, kustosica Nacionalnog muzeja moderne umjetnosti © Nacionalni muzej moderne umjetnosti, Zagreb
Foto: Goran Vranić © Nacionalni muzej moderne umjetnosti, Zagreb