Following the recent passing of the distinguished Croatian painter and printmaker Munir Vejzović (Doboj, 29 January 1945 – Zagreb, 29 September 2024), the National Museum of Modern Art in Zagreb is organising a small, intimate exhibition titled “In Memory of Munir’s Pastorals or the World of Yesterday.” As a symbolic farewell to an artist who had a long history of collaboration with the National Museum of Modern Art and the Račić Gallery, this exhibition is staged at the Josip Račić Gallery and runs from 5 December 2024 to 5 January 2025.
Curator Iva Körbler, in the exhibition’s foreword, reflects on how Munir Vejzović’s work remains one of the most unique and distinctive painting and drawing legacies in modern Croatian art.
Munir’s ideas are embodied in motifs of nature, pastorals, drawing inspiration from ancient frescoes depicting bacchanalia that celebrate nature and life (Bacchanal, Circus, Pastorals). These works subtly echo, in a postmodern manner, the influence of various French modern painters from the early 20th century (Cézanne, Picasso, Vlaminck, Vuillard, Dufy, Bonnard, Chagall), yet remain unmistakably marked by the artist’s unique and authentic synthesis. Tonko Maroević points out that it was probably Professor Antun Mezdjić at the Zagreb Academy who conveyed to him “an exceptionally strict and methodical approach to morphology, in the tradition of Cézannism,” which is evident in the way Munir shapes the structure of his compositions. Building on a realistic base, the artist develops motifs and forms that evolve into a modern style and vocabulary, at times edging into surrealism and fantastic painting. Branko Franceschi, from the text in the exhibition catalogue
All the works for this exhibition have been loaned from the Biškupić Collection.
Munir Vejzović (Doboj, 1945 – Zagreb, 2024) was a Croatian painter, printmaker, and sculptor. He completed his primary education in his hometown and then studied painting at the School of Applied Arts in Sarajevo, under Mica Todorović and Vojo Dimitrijević. In 1965, he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, focusing on painting and graphic arts, and studied under professors such as Ljubo Ivančić, Ivo Režek, Krsto Hegedušić, Vjekoslav Parać, and Antun Mezdjić. Additionally, he took an elective course in printmaking with Prof. Frane Baćo. He interrupted his third-year studies at the Academy of Fine Arts and moved to Paris, coinciding with the 1968 student protests. After having spent a year in Paris, he returned to Zagreb and graduated cum laude in 1970 in the class of Prof. Antun Mejzdić.
The following period marked a time of persistence in his métier, although he was obliged to work at several schools in Doboj. After a brief stay in his hometown, he returned to Zagreb. In 1977, he began teaching at the Secondary School of Applied Arts in Zagreb, which would be his final teaching role. From then on, he worked exclusively as a freelance professional artist.
During multiple visits to Paris, he explored and absorbed much of the French modern art heritage by visiting various museums and galleries, including the Louvre, while also attending École des Beaux-Arts on an informal basis.
In 2009, an extensive monograph on Munir’s painting was penned by academician Tonko Maroević and Biserka Rauter Plančić, published by the Klovićevi Dvori Gallery and Art Magazine Kontura. His most recent major exhibition, “Embrace of Eroticism and Sculpture,” was organised at the National Museum of Modern Art (NMMU) in Zagreb in 2016, showcasing works selected by both academician Tonko Maroević and the artist himself. Munir’s works have garnered particular recognition from gallery owners and collectors in France and Italy, where he exhibited several times and cultivated a dedicated following.
His paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures are featured in the collections of all significant Croatian museums and galleries, as well as in private collections both in Croatia and abroad (France, Italy, Austria).
He received the Vladimir Nazor Award in 2008.
The exhibition has been made possible with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia and the Orbico Group.
Translated by: Robertina Tomić
Images: Munir Vejzović
(1) A Woman With a Fan, 1986, Kavana II, 1988
(2) Painter, 1987., Salome, 1986
(3) Suzana and the old men, Hommage a Tintoretto, 1987
(4) Fruit (and a tea pot), 1988
(5) Interieur, 1987
(6) Etruria, exhibition poster 1986, Masks, 1986
Photo Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
