Stjepan Šandrk a prominent figure in Croatian contemporary art, who has been making a lasting imprint on the art scene with his hyperrealistic paintings, through which he mostly talks about the ways in which we
experience culture and art in today’s society flooded with influence of social media. In his reinterpretation, Stjepan infuses a distinctive and communicative touch, carefully selecting visual details captured by the
camera and transposing them onto canvas with refined artistic sensibility. Within the realm of figurative painting, the artist has consistently and continuously worked to develop a recognizable signature through thematic, compositional, and color mastery. His figurative painting is marked by a distinctive painterly precision, meticulous detailing, refined taste, and a discerning awareness of current events in the media and various social spheres. Skillfully blending these elements, he creates captivating narratives on his painting canvases. Different topics run through his expansive and diverse body of work, from scenes depicted from the art world and the phenomenon of Selfies and Spectacle to the media and digital worlds that he refers to in his last cycle entitled ”Images from the Metaverse”. The images from this new cycle, in which he skilfully mixes the virtual and the real, convey a message in a symbolic way about how these incredible technological advances in our civilization: the internet, digital media, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, are becoming an integral part of our everyday life, changing the world and society we know and they take more and more of our time and attention.
Stjepan Šandrk was born in Osijek, in 1984. He graduated painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, in 2006. At the same Academy he completed a PhD, in Art, in 2015. He has exhibited at a number of solo
and group exhibitions in the country and abroad including Croatia, Spain, Italy, Austria, Netherlands. He has won many recognitions and awards for his work. He is a member of HDLU (Croatian Association of Fine Arts). Stjepan Šandrk lives and works in Zagreb.
2020. Winarts, Milano, Distinct Realities
2019. Galerie Potemka, Leipzig, Distinct Realities 2018. Velika galerija grada Zaboka, Spectacle
Winarts, Milano, Spectacle
2017. Galerija Bačva, HDLU, Zagreb
2015. Palazzo Zuccato, Figuration/3, Poreč
2015. CEART (Centro de Arte Tomas y Valiente), Madrid 2015.
2013. Palazzo Zuccato, Poreč, Pavlović, Šandrk, Tirić
Gallery Vernissage, Osijek “Martina and bulldog”
Gallery Bačva, HDLU, Zagreb “Guard (mr. Kralj)”
Gallery Sebastian, Dubrovnik “Golden paintings”
Gallery Dulčić Masle Pulitika, Dubrovnik
2012. Gallery Mazuth, Zagreb “Martina and bulldog”
Gallery Kontura, Zagreb “Public”
2011. BlackBox, Sarajevo, BiH, “Golden paintings”
Gallery Kazamat, Osijek “Golden paintings”
2010. Gallery Vjekoslav Karas, Karlovac “Ivana”
Gallery Kontura, Zagreb, “Ivana”
2009. Gallery Kalos, Barcelona, Spain “Estada a Barcelona”
2008. Gallery Stančić, Zagreb
2007. Gallery CEKAO, Zagreb “Current news”
2006. Gallery Decumanus, Krk “Croatians at Biennale”
Group exhibitions (selections)
2019. HDLU, Zagreb, 5th Biennale of Painting
Westpol, Leipzig, Known Unknowns
Galerija Karas, Zagreb, works of residents, De/construction of painting Art Salon, Zagreb, Art Today
Lauba, Zagreb, Nesvrstani 2
Galerija umjentina, Slavonski brod, 8th Triennale ofAquarelle
2018. MSU, Zagreb, Search for reality – Jadranka Fatur and hyperreal Gradski Muzej Varaždin, 4tg Biennale of painting
2017. HDLU Zagreb, 4th Biennle of painting MLUO Osijek, Collections Hanžeković
2016. Maringer Galerie, Sankt Poelten, Austrija “Junge Kunst aus Kroatien”
2016. Ex Fornace, Milano, “Il rittorno alla figurazione”, Zen Contemporary Art Gallery
2016. Exporting Zagreb, National Museum, Gdansk
2015. Croatian Assotiation of Artists, 3rd Painting Biennale
2014. Croatian Assotiation of Artists, 2ndPainting Biennale
2013. Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, ESSL Award CEE Nominees
Gliptoteka HAZU, Zagreb “New Croatian Realism”
HDLU, Zagreb, 48. Zagrebački Salon
Town Art Gallery, Slavonski Brod, 6. trijenale akvarela
Town Museum, Karlovac, 6. trijenale akvarela
2012. Barcelona, Spain, SWAB International Contemporary Art Fair
GLUO, Osijek, 23. Slavonski bijenale
Rijeka, MMSU, Faggian Art collection
Zagreb, Academy of Fine Arts, INA Energija 12
Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, THTNAGRADA@MSU.HR
2011. MMC, Galerija Luka, Pula, Zbirka Faggian
Gallery Kazamat, Osijek “Onurov dvojnik”
2010. Kunstgalerie Erolzheim, Germany, Gruppenausstellung
GLUO, Osijek, 22. Slavonski bijenale
Croatian Assotiation of Artists, Zagreb, 30. Salon mladih
2009. Klovićevi dvori, Zagreb, “Slavonija, Baranja i Srijem; vrela Europske civilizacije”
2009. Art Pavilion, Zagreb “Gledati druge”
2007. Croatian Assotiation of Artists, Zagreb, 42nd Zagreb Salon of Art
2006. Croatian Assotiation of Artists , Zagreb, “Slikarstvo sada: rezime”
Gallery Kortil, Rijeka “Klasa Rončević”
GLUO, Osijek, 20. Slavonski bijenale
2005. Academy of Fine Arts, Zagreb, ESSL Award 2005 Nominees
Gallery Kazamat, Osijek, “Nova osječka likovna scena”
MMC, Pula, “New art scene”
2004. GLUO, Osijek, 19. Slavonski bijenale
Croatian Assotiation of Artists, Zagreb, 27. Salon mladih
Awards and residence
2019. residence De/construction of painting (HDLU), Leipzig (DE)
2018. SOLD OUT, Symposium, round table “Propaganda-Anti Propaganda”, Vienna Art Week
2014. residence Glo’Art, Belgija
2012. Award T-HTNAGRADA@MSU.HR, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
2012. “Energy 2012” INA d.d. award/collection
2010. “Ex aequo” award, 22nd Slavonian biennale, GLUO Osijek
2006. Award for most succesfull diploma work, ALU Zagreb
2006. Award for most succesfull graduate, Croatian Chamber of Economy HGK 2006. Special Award of 20th Slavonian biennale, GLUO Osijek
2014. Glo’Art, Belgium
2012. Choice of audience award T-HTNAGRADA@MSU.HR, Musem of Contemporary Art Zagreb
2012. “Energija 2012” INA d.d. award
2010. “Ex aequo” award, 22nd Slavonian biennale, GLUO Osijek
2009. Residence, Barcelona, Spain
2006. Most successful graduate, professor council, ALU Zagreb
Most successful graduate, Croatian Chamber of Economy
2006. Special award, 20th Slavonian biennale, GLUO Osijek