Mirko Zrinšćak: Capturing the Essence of Nature

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Sculpture Network, we’re highlighting 20 Sculpture Network members, each with a distinctive and celebrated practice. Among these members is Mirko Zrinšćak, a leading Croatian contemporary artist.

Over the course of his 40 year career, Mirko Zrinšćak has become a master woodworker creating large scale sculptures that capture the essence of nature. His elongated, rhythmical forms are meditations on the underlying, invisible forces of nature, created in dialogue with the trees they are made from.

He follows in the footsteps of celebrated modernist sculptors such as Constantin Brancusi, Jean Arp and Henry Moore. Yet his artistic style is a direct reflection of his relationship to his home in Mount Učka, where he has lived with his family for the last 30 years.  

Early Years

Mirko Zrinšćak was born in 1953, in Volosko, Croatia, a small fishing village near the sea.  Before he became an artist he had trained to be a Butcher and worked as a waiter, sailor and worked in a shipyard. Zrinšćak said, “It is very useful that you have life experience before you become an artist”. Many of his early experiences working with his hands and amongst natural subjects have informed his practice and the way he now lives his life. 

He first studied art at the age of 31 at Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice. After his studies he moved first to Veprinac, a town at the foot of Mount Učka, than to the higher parts of the mountain and deeper to the wilderness, to a wooden hut located in the forest, and finally on the top of the mountain, where he has lived with his family since 1997 in the village of Vela Učka.

Mount Učka is a mountain range in western Croatia that stretches from the bay of Trieste to Rijeka. It differs from other coastal mountains in Croatia due to its abundant vegetation on the seaward side.  The protected area is home to rare flora and fauna native to this region. For Zrinšćak, the landscape has a direct influence on his work. 

“The beauty of the surrounding nature is very stimulating for my artistic work. During my long walks in the forest, I am sensitive to everything, even the smallest changes in nature. I perceive the small shifts that trigger me to think about art and life. That's how I came to perceive the world more in a holistic way. We are nature. Some people think we humans are separate, but we are the same.” Zrinšćak has said.  

His hollow wooden forms are not directly representative of any particular plant or species but instead aim to encapsulate the majesty of the Učka region. Just like the trees they are made of, these long, long shapes up to 7 meters move upwards. They reach for the sky as if they want to transcend their physical boundaries.  Despite being carved from wood the forms appear to be moving in the spaces they inhabit. His expert compositions capture the vibrancy and movement of nature. 

His works have been exhibited in contemporary and modern art museums around the world, and they are held in the collections of the National Museum of Modern Art in Zagreb, Croatia, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka, Croatia and in the collections of local and foreign collectors.

In 1995 he represented Croatia at the 46th Venice Biennale (together with M. Kramer and G. Petercol), he is the winner of the City of Rijeka Prize (1996) and he was awarded with the national medal for special merits in culture (Decoration of the Order of Danica Hrvatska, 1997). 

Generative Partnerships with Sculpture Network

Mirko Zrinšćak’s membership with the Sculpture Network has led to generative new relationships. His profile on the Sculpture Network directory caught the eye of curator and Sculpture Network Chair Anne Berk. The chance encounter led Anne to curate a solo exhibition of Mirko’s work titled Essence of Nature at KunstCentret Silkeborg Bad in Denmark. Anne Remarks, “For me, his fluid forms reflect energy, growth and longing. Many of his elongated forms reach for the sky. They have a soul.”

Zrinšćak has also held an event with Sculpture Network, Dialogue in Croatia: A Studio Visit with Mirko Zrinšćak, coordinated by Marina Bauer. Members were invited to an intimate studio tour in Zrinšćak’s home in Croatia to learn more about his work and practice. 

This generative relationship speaks to the value of Sculpture Network. Not only has membership led to new developments in Zrinšćak’s career, it has exposed his work to new audiences across the network. 

 Zrinšćak echoes this sentiment, “As an artist from Croatia, Sculpture Network allowed my work to reach audiences across Europe and beyond. The platform not only provided extensive exposure but also helped me connect with fellow artists and professionals, including curator Anne Berk, who discovered my profile on the site. This connection led to a fruitful collaboration with Anne, culminating in the exhibition Essence of Nature at KunstCentret Silkeborg Bad in Denmark.

I strongly recommend Sculpture Network to any artist looking to grow, connect, and explore new opportunities. It’s an excellent platform for fostering creativity and building meaningful relationships within the art community." 

From his home, on top of Mount Učka in Croatia to Denmark, Mirko Zrinšćak continues to share the beauty of nature to audiences, artists and curators alike. Sculpture Network is proud to have a 20 year history of uniting artists such as Mirko Zrinšćak to organisations, practitioners and art lovers through sculpture. 

Myfawny wrote this text in English.