Biographical Summary – Zeljko Kujundzic
Born in
Subotica the former
Yugoslavia, of Turkish descent
Educated on the
Dalmatian
Coast
1939 – 40* Studied art in
Venice,
Italy. Returned to
Subotica at the German invasion of
Hungary
1941 – 46 Entered and completed art studies at the Royal College of Art and the University of Budapest, Hungary. During this period he was active in a student resistance cell, taken prisoner first by Germans, then the Russians, and escaped both times. The second time trekked back a thousand miles through the
Ukraine and
Romania to
Yugoslavia
- 1944 joined ‘Youth Folk Ensemble’ a small music group inspired by Kodaly, which toured weekends to earn money
1946 Worked in the Propaganda Department in post war
Yugoslavia under Tito while acquiring Teacher Certification. Disillusioned by political constraints on artists, returned to
Hungary. Fled
Hungary on foot and entered Displaced Persons Camp in
Austria. Distinguished himself as an artist, eventually assisted to relocate to
Britain
1948 Employed by Scottish sculptor C. d’O. Pilkington Jackson (Sculptor to the Queen) where he meets Ann Johnson, who was active in the local arts and intellectual community. Together they became passport holding ‘citizens of the world’. Married Ann and with her has 6 children, five surviving into adulthood
- Held one man shows during the next ten years in
Edinburgh,
London,
Paris and
Oslo
- Collaborated on work with Scottish poet Ian Hamilton Findlay producing several book covers, and graphic illustrations
- 1957 wrote autobiography, ‘Torn Canvas’, chronicling his youth and WWII struggles
- Published in ‘Young Artists of Promise’ by Jack Beddington. Selected as one of 120 artists from a fielding of some 4,000 British entries
1958 Emigrated with family to
Cranbrook, B.C.
Canada. Chose
Canada because of keen interest in the Native Arts he had seen in British Galleries that have certain similarities to the Byzantine roots of his own culture and artistic expression. In
Canada, continues to exhibit in
Britain and
Canada (
Montreal,
Vancouver,
Calgary and regionally) while teaching art in a secondary school. Initiates connections that were very important to him with the people at the St Mary’s Reserve
1959 Moved to Nelson, and taught at the Summer School of the Arts
- 1960 Established the year round Kootenay School of Art and continued as Director for four years. Introduced a European ‘studio style’ of instruction that emphasizes and exploits the use of local materials, and aims to train multidisciplined artists. He connected and exhibited then and later with an avant-garde movement out of
Spokane that set the tone of artistic vitality in the
Pacific Northwest during the post war years. The group included Wirth McCoy, Robert Graves, Keith Monoghan and Harold Balazs
- Youngest daughter was born and gave her the name ‘Natanis’ suggested by chief of St. Mary’s. Created ties to Doukobor community and Quakers, and built an A-frame in Argenta, a vibrant intentional Quaker community
1964 Moved to
Kelowna. Established the ‘
Art
Center’, a former church that he converted to a gallery, studio and teaching facility. The first couple of years he taught Art and French in the
Rutland
Secondary School while running the gallery and school. Friendships that become important and influential included George Ryga, who was also deeply concerned with the plight of the oppressed, and Noll Derriksan, who later became chief of the Westbank Band and was a cultural supporter of the workshops Zeljko gave on Reserves
- Formed the Contemporary Okanagan Artists with Weldon Munden, Des Loan, Leroy Jensen and Frank Poll, with George Ryga writing for them
- For seven years taught summer workshops in ceramics and metal crafts to Native Indians of different age groups, first at Vivian Cowan’s ranch near
Williams
Lake, at the
Art
Center in
Kelowna, and the Penticton Indian Reservation
- 1967 Organized and sponsored the Okanagan Summer Arts Festival
- 1967 Received grant as Artist In Residence at Instituto Allende, San Miguel de Allende,
Mexico. Traveled for six months with wife and two children through southern US,
Mexico and
Guatemala, Visits Hopi and Navajo settlements. Visits to the ruins in these areas sparked a lasting fascination in archeology. Revisited these areas several times in the subsequent 15 years
1968 Guest Professor of Art for a three month term,
Pennsylvania
State
University. Offered Professorship and asked to head the new Arts Department for Fayette Campus in
Uniontown
Pa. Returned without his family to teach there 1968 – 82. Separated and divorced from Ann
- Returned to the Okanagan each summer until 1982 and taught workshops in various BC locations
- Founded the ‘Church of the Solar Messenger’ and became a minister. Performed irregular services and one marriage. Undertook the building by hand of a stone pyramid in
Okanagan
Center which was never completed, but may have inspired the sandstone monolith memorial to the Holocaust which he was later commissioned to build in
Pennsylvania
- 1970s Invented a solar kiln to fire ceramics, in response to the oil crisis and deepening concern for environmental issues. Also invented a ceramic air conditioner
1982 Retired to Entiat,
Okanagan Valley
WA. with companion Liz Campbell, where he continued to work, exhibit and teach in the
US,
Canada and internationally.
1996 Moved to Orville WA., and
Osoyoos,
BC, established studios in both locations
- 1998 Major heart surgery in
Spokane
WA.
- 1999 Married Liz Campbell
- 2000 Family became aware of diagnosis of Altzheimers, already fairly advanced
2002 Died in
Osoyoos
BC
Links:
http://www.claireart.ca/zk/zkmain.htm
http://www.rubylane.com/item/172711-FC000610/Zeljko-Kujundzic-Ceramic-Sculpture
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