JOSEPH ZBUKVIC

Was born in Zagreb, Croatia in 1952. His formative years were spent on a small farm, where most of the work was done manually in a traditional manner, this early experience gave him an understanding of man’s relationship with nature and it still influences his choice of subject matter.

His early education was very versatile and included both the performing and visual arts.

His talent was recognised early by his teachers and he was also encouraged to paint by his grandmother. His parents felt there was no future in a painting profession and enrolled him into a school of languages and literature ( 1967 ) to pursue a teaching career.

This was interrupted in 1970 when his family migrated to Australia, first settling in Geelong, Victoria. Here he continued his formal education at Deakin University gaining a Diploma of Art in 1974 (majoring in Industrial Design). During this course he was introduced to the watercolour medium and began painting again achieving early success at local competitions. He won his first major art award in 1975 and has been winning awards ever since - 200 to date

He is a member of the Victorian Artists Society, the Twenty Melbourne Painters and the Australian Watercolour Institute.

Joseph teaches at Charles Sturt University, Mitchell School of Creative Art.

In 1978 he took up painting full time and has had 21 solo exhibitions and many group exhibitions since. He has also won many awards in the field of traditional watercolour landscape painting, including the Alice Bale Watercolour Award in 1987 and 1989. At the Camberwell Rotary Art Show he has won the Gold Medal for Watercolour and ‘Best of Show’ in 1988, 1997 and 2001, as well as the Major Watercolour Award in 1998 and 2002.

STUDIES:

Diploma of Art, Deakin University.

SELECTED SOLO EXBITIONS:

1978 Eastgate Gallery, Brighton, Victoria.

1979 Hobson’s Choice Gallery, Queenscliff, Victoria.

1980 Wiregrass Gallery, Eltham, Victoria.

1981 Gallery 21, Templestowe, Victoria.

1982 Gallery 21, Templestowe, Victoria.

1983 Council Invitation Exhibition, Cato gallery, Victorian Artist’s Society.

1984 Balmoral Galleries, Geelong, Victoria.

The Melbourne Art Exchange, Melbourne, Victoria.

1989 The Melbourne Art Exchange, Melbourne, Victoria.

1990 The Blaxland Gallery, Sydney, NSW.

The Melbourne Art Exchange, Melbourne, Victoria.

Appointed Artist-in-residence at the Mimara Museum, Zagreb.

1993 Barry Newton Gallery, Adelaide, South Australia.

1994 Melbourne Fine Art Gallery, Carlton ,Victoria.

1995 Oliver Swann Gallery, London.

Barry Newton Galleries, Adelaide, South Australia.

1996 Melbourne Fine Art Gallery, Carlton, Victoria.

2002 David Sumner Gallery, Toorak Gardens, South Australia

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

1986 Then and Now, 200 years of Australian Watercolour, McClelland Regional Gallery,

Langwarrin, Victoria.

Gallery 21, Templestowe,Victoria.

First Settlement Gallery, Sorrento, Victoria.

1987 Balmoral Gallery, Geelong, Victoria.

1988 Gallery 21, Templestowe, Victoria.

First Settlement Gallery, Sorrento, Victoria.

2001 David Sumner Gallery, Toorak Gardens, South Australia.

SELECTED AWARDS AND PRIZES:

1986 Alice Bale Watercolour Prize.

1987 Victorian Artists’ Society Spring Exhibition.

1988 Alice Bale Watercolour Prize.

1989 Alice Bale Watercolour Prize.

1990 Norwich Industries Award.

COLLECTIONS:

Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum, Grafton Regional Gallery, MIMARA Museum, Zagreb, City of Camberwell City of Queenscliff, City of Box Hill, Wildlife Association of Victoria, Sheraton Towers, Southbank Melbourne, Regent Hotel Collection and numerous corporate and private collections.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:

McCulloch, a, Encyclopedia of Australia Art, Hutchinson Group, Melbourne,1984.

Campbell,Jean, Australian Watercolour Painting 1780 to the present day, Craftsman House, Melbourne. Roberts, Tom & Gaylard, Geof, Australian Impressionist & Realist Artists.

Graphic Management Services, Melbourne, 1991, pp138-141. His work has appeared in “Australian Artist” and “International Artist” magazines on many occasions, and he leads International Artist Painting Workshops to Europe. His first book, “Mastering Atmosphere & Mood in Watercolour, is destined to become a worldwide bestseller.