Svjetlan Junakóvić: Croatia Illustrator

Children's books can instill a feeling for taste, an aesthetic outlook which may later be important for forming a person's way of life and what things they choose.

Svjetlan Junakóvić

Svjetlan Junakóvić was born in Zagreb, Croatia in 1961. He was first spotted by the great Croatian sculptor Kosta Angeli Radovani, who supported and encouraged him to pursue formal training at the Milan Academy of Fine Arts. He graduated with a degree in sculpture in 1985. After a time in the studio of Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, he became interested in contemporary French illustration. Since then, he has published over 300 books in Croatia, across Europe, in the USA, Australia, and Japan; his work has been translated into twenty languages. His versatility and attention to detail are the hallmark of his artistry.

Junakóvić's experience as a painter and sculptor combine to generate new and unexpected approaches when it comes to selecting the drawing surface, some of which are pre-treated with red priming (a practice from centuries past) or feature scraps and clips from newspapers, magazines, and notebooks resulting in nearly cubist collages. Those backgrounds are then covered with thick color textures, brush strokes, and carvings made with palette knives and other tools. The result is highly expressive, almost physical art—but still playful, dream-like, and full of humor.

Claudia Sonego notes Junakóvić's work contains "Lightness, freedom, humor, honesty, sensitivity, and respect for children's imagination; love for games, fun, formal research, and technical experimentation: these are the key features of Junakóvić's vision. An uncontainable, lively, quick-witted artist who unsurprisingly and stubbornly keeps on trusting his intuition."

Svjetlan Junakóvić has had numerous solo exhibitions of his work and has received many distinctions and awards such as the prize at the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava in 2001, special awards in Bari in 2003 (Premio citta di Bari) and in Japan (Oita Biennale) in 2004. His illustrations have been exhibited at the Bologna Book Fair for over a decade. Junakóvić teaches illustration at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb and at the international school in Sarmede, Italy.