The exhibition Impressions of Action by Andro Grdinić, curated by Željko Marciuš, museum advisor at NMMU, will open on April 8 at the Josip Račić Gallery. The artist presents a series of new paintings executed in mixed media on canvas, continuing his exploration of color and gesture in the tradition of domestic abstract expressionism. Compared to his previous cycles, there is a noticeable reduction and calming of gestures, with a focus on their dramatic effect. A collateral consequence of this approach is a reduced color palette, while maintaining the use of open, factory-set tonal values.
Grdinić works with enamel paints mixed with water, applying them through dripping and pouring techniques, which—alongside the interplay of color and gesture—create striking layers of paint with pronounced tactile qualities. Ultimately, the result is a series of dynamic compositions, rich in expressive energy yet firmly controlled in their tectonic structure.
Within the spectrum of action painting in Croatia—from the post-war period through high modernism to the present—Andro Grdinić has developed his own unique approach. Many characteristics of his style—scattered, floating compositions, dynamic visual structures achieved through splattering, dripping, staining, and color bleeding onto the canvas—suggest an affinity with action painting as a variant of (neo)abstract expressionism. Through these postmodern references—such as nods to Edo Murtić and, indirectly, Jackson Pollock—Grdinić forges his own independent painterly expression. - (...) Željko Marciuš, from the accompanying exhibition catalog in Croatian and English.
The exhibition will remain open until April 30, 2025, and has been realized with support from 
Artist Biography
Andro Grdinić graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome in 2006. He has been exhibiting in group shows since 2002 and has held solo exhibitions since 2009. He teaches at the School of Applied Arts in Zagreb, where he lives and works.
Reproductions: Andro Grdinić, from the Impressions of Action series / Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb