Ante Dabro
1938
Genesis, 2007–2009
bronze, cast
59 × 31 × 23 cm
MG-7414

Croatian-Australian sculptor Ante Dabro attended the School of Applied Arts in Split from 1953 to 1958. Between 1958 and 1967, he worked as an assistant and collaborator in the studio of Dušan Džamonja in Zagreb. From 1960 to 1964, he studied sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, graduating under Antun Augustinčić. He later joined Augustinčić’s Master Workshop as an associate. In 1967, Dabro won first prize at the sculpture symposium in Bihać for his work Mourners. That same year, he emigrated to Australia, becoming a citizen in 1971 and later teaching at Canberra University for a period.
Dabro's sculptural expression is marked by monumentality and expressiveness, with a strong emphasis on the purity of form in figuration. While he experimented with various materials, bronze remains his most recognisable medium. He began exhibiting in 1964 in Zagreb and went on to participate in numerous group and solo exhibitions across Australia and internationally. Today, Dabro holds a prominent place in contemporary Australian sculpture, with his works housed in many public institutions and private collections. His monumental Monument to the Royal Australian Navy in Canberra, commissioned in the mid-1980s following a national competition, affirms his significance in Australia's cultural heritage.
Dabro’s sculptures are known for their angular, expressive forms and recurring motifs of the nude human figure. They often explore universal aspects of the human condition—suffering, hope, sexuality, heroism, and spirituality—infused with the perspective of an outsider.
Genesis is a dynamic group composition of a man and woman locked in an erotic embrace. Their bodies twist diagonally, with heads thrown back and a raised arm accentuating the movement of the gesture. The faceted carving and solid volumes reflect the influence of the Augustinčić school. In contrast to the sharply treated bodies, the faces are more softly modelled and expressive.
The sculpture was donated to the museum and represents the second of a total of six casts. The remaining editions are held in private collections. A large-scale version of this work is installed as a public monument at Canberra International Airport.

Text: Tatijana Gareljić, Museum Advisor, National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb