Dušan Džamonja

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Dušan Džamonja was born in Strumica, Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He is considered one of the most visionary sculptors of his era. He studied sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts and began experimenting with abstract sculptural forms and unconventional materials as early as the 1950s. One of the most recognisable systems he developed involved soldering together metal pieces, such as old chains, pins and nails into unique geometric forms. His distinctive style involved creating free spatial constructions that combined simple curved geometric forms into highly complex structures. He gained international recognition after participating in the 1960 Venice Biennale, which led to numerous exhibitions abroad, including the Biennale des Jeunes in Paris, the São Paulo Bienal, and the San Marino Biennial. Among the many honors he received, the artist was awarded the Rembrandt Prize from the Goethe Foundation in Basel in 1977. His work is held in museum collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Modern in London, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. Džamonja received numerous public commissions for key monuments, often commemorating events related to the People’s Liberation Struggle in World War II in Yugoslavia and Italy. Some of the most notable ones include the Monument to the Revolution of the People of Moslavina in Podgarić, the Monument to the Revolution in Kozara National Park, the December Victims Monument in Zagreb, and the Memorial Ossuary to Fallen Yugoslavs in Barletta. His Studio and Sculpture Park in Vrsar, Croatia, remains one of the most elaborate projects of its kind in the region.