By definition, naïve painters lack the formal artistic training to be defined as artist, but that doesn’t mean their work isn’t art. For example, I am show-casing the work of naïve artist, Ivan Rabuzin, who was born on March 27, 1921 in the village of Kljuc in Croatia. Ivan’s father was a miner and his mother; a peasant farmer and together they struggled to feed their 12 children. To help his family out, Ivan left home for the bright lights and promise of Zagreb, in 1937, where he was apprenticed to a carpenter and later became a master joiner. It was here that he became interested in the world of art.
By 1956, at the age of 35, Ivan began to paint. Although it took him 10 years to do so, he held his first one-man show in Novi Marof. Over his career, he held further exhibitions in Zagreb, Paris, Milan and Oslo.
Not only an artist, Ivan was also interested in politics and became an active member of the Croatian Democratic Union and from 1993 to 1999 he was also a member of the Croatian Parliament (in the second and third assemblies). Sadly his life came to an end, and he died in a hospital in Zagreb, Croatia on 18 December 2008
- The work showcased above is entitled: My Son (1927) by Ivan Rabuzin.
Look for other artists in my Artists A-Z page. -Živjeli (Cheers!)
Website | About | Facebook | Twitter
“Is It Art?”
Hello Mary, I am looking for a good reproduction of the picture My Son by Ivan Rabuzin since 2000. Do you know where this picture exists? Is it possibly for sale?
Hi Carmen
My Son, aka Moj Sin was painted in 1967. Unfortunately I cannot inform you of its current location, but the following major museums, collections and galleries have exhibited Rabuzin’s works, including:
Modern Art Museum, Belgrade; Museum am Ostwal, Dortmund: Gallery of Pictures, Rijeka; Boymans Museum, Rotterdam; Modern Art Museum, Sarajevo; Modern Art Museum, Skopje; Primitive Art Gallery, Zagreb; and the Original Art Gallery, Zlatar. Maybe one of them may be able to help you.