Ivan Rabuzin

I thought I’d take a look at at some Naïve art for a change, and the popular works of Ivan Rabuzin (1921 – 2008). Rabuzin was born in the small town of Kljuc Northeast of Zagreb, Croatia, near the Hungarian border. He was the sixth of eleven children, whose father worked as a miner to support his family. After completing four years of primary school, the young Ivan started working the family’s small parcel of land with his older brothers.

During the Second World War Rabuzin studied carpentry in Zagreb and applied his newly learnt skills in the town of Zenum. Later still, after he had started working and was again in Zagreb, he returned to the government trade school to advance his carpentry skills. There he learnt the more developed skills necessary for a Master Carpenter, and the skills associated with drafting furniture drawings. During the evenings Rabuzin followed a course in artistic drawing and was introduced to other painters in the area.

Rabuzin’s interest in painting began in around 1944 and he continued to paint whenever he could find the time in his work schedule and increasingly demanding family life. He got married, moved once again to another town and professional position, this time in a furniture factory, and starting a family.

In 1956 Rabuzin had his first solo exhibition which helped to establish his name as a noteworthy painter and further introduced him to his contemporary painters. By visiting galleries and reading literature on various artists Rabuzin expanded his knowledge of the artistic world, where he had little formal training. He described himself as ignorant about how to paint, however this naïveté did not stop him and he continued to develop. Rabuzin’s unique style crystallized in the late 1950s and early 1960s during which time his work was introduced to the world art market. He was given solo shows in Paris and Sao Paolo. In 1962 Rabuzin began to paint as a professional gaining popular acclaim over the years. He died in 2008.

Note: I do not have dates and titles for all of the following works:

1959 Orehovec Hills

1968-69 Paysage Onirique

1970 Case Con Alberi

1973 Open Sky

1974 Dry Winter

1979 My Village