The exhibition of academic painter and graphic artist Zdravko Milić, showcasing his recent cycle of paintings executed in acrylic on canvas, titled Iapetusdrome, will be on view at the Josip Račić Gallery from 6 to 30 June. This new cycle builds upon his previous series titled Lunadrome and the artist’s enduring fascination with themes and motifs related to scientific discoveries and theories, and the realm of science fiction.
The paintings systematically depict the intricate topography of the specific surface and shape of Iapetus, one of Saturn’s satellites, also referred to as the Yin Yang moon. With a diameter of 1472 kilometres, Iapetus holds the distinction of being the outermost moon orbiting its parent planet within the Solar System. The planet’s bizarre shape and position have sparked popular theories suggesting it might be an artificial construct crafted by advanced extraterrestrial intelligence.
This bizarre world inspired Zdravko Milić to produce paintings infused with youthful energy and sensibility, yet executed with a mature technical skill. The atmosphere is surreal, heightened by hyperrealistic precision and clarity of execution. Indirectly, the cycle alludes to a particular trait of Milić’s generation, which, despite advancing age, remains connected to their youthful obsessions, evident not only in the theme but also in the illustrative style and concise narrative reminiscent of the comic book medium.
The curator of the exhibition, accompanied by a bilingual catalogue in Croatian and English, is Branko Franceschi, the director of the National Museum of Modern Art.
The exhibition has been made possible with financial support of the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Zagreb
Artist’s biography
Zdravko Milić was born in 1953 in Labin. He graduated from the Applied Arts High School, Printmaking Department, in Split in 1973, and received his degree in painting in 1977 from the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice, in the class of Prof. Carmelo Zotti. He pursued further professional training in mosaic at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris in the class of Prof. Riccardo Licata (1988). From 1978 to 2006, he worked as a freelance artist. He is a member of the Croatian Association of Visual Artists (HDLU) in Rijeka and Zagreb. As a full professor, he taught Painting and Mosaic courses in the Academy of Applied Arts at the University of Rijeka. He has been exhibiting intensively since the early 1970s. He has held 103 solo exhibitions and participated in over 600 group exhibitions at home and abroad. He has participated in numerous international painting and sculpture symposiums and has received 65 awards and recognitions for his work. His works are kept in many significant private and public collections.
Translated by: Robertina Tomić
Reproductions: Zdravko Milić’s acrylics from his recent cycle Iapetusdrome. Photo: Zdravko Milić / Courtesy of the artist