BIOGRAPHY
Creatures from folk imaginary brought to life through the lens of Iva Lulic's camera. Iva is a very well-known Croatian fine-art photographer who creates amazing images, thus restoring old folk beliefs. She already made several serials of photos representing the legendary creatures from folklore. She shot them on the authentic localities in different parts of Croatia.
Iva Lulic was born in 1979. She received a degree in Art History and Ethnology from the Faculty of Philosophy, the University of Zagreb in 2005. She has acquired education in photography during the study by attending elective courses at the Faculty of Architecture's Department of Design. Iva has been working as a professional photographer since 2006.
She is a member of the Croatian Association of Artists of Applied Arts (ULUPUH) and Croatian Association of Independent Artists (HZSU).
She received the Best Young Artist Award in 2012 from Croatian Association of Artists of Applied Arts.
In addition to about thirty solo exhibitions, she has also made several large projects: Fairies and Elves Artuses, The World of Artuses – Gorski Kotar, Krk – Fairy Island, Dream Visions of the Past, Podravina Between Myths and Legends, Once Upon a Time in Vrbovec.
The imaginary world becomes real in her projects without any use of modern computer effects. The world in which real life and fairy tales encounter is achieved by the elaborate conceptualization, the deliberate use of light and color in photography, and the perceptible play of the eye - from above, from below. Autumn projects successfully combine quality photographic and scenographic work with elements of social, humanitarian, and educational activity.
Independent exhibitions
2018.
- Fairy Island, Prica Gallery, Samobor
- Magical World of Unnatural Creatures From Traditional Beliefs in Podravina, Galerija Koprivnica City Gallery, Koprivnica
2017.
- Podravina Between Myths and Legends, Đurđevac City Museum, Đurđevac
- World of Artuses, « Naša Goranska Gallery», Zagreb
2016.
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, Cultural Centre of Šabac, Srbija
- Fairies, photography exhibition in nature, Roški waterfall (Legendfest)
2015.
- Magical Fellowship, Museum of Ethnography, Zagreb
- World of Artuses, Jelkovec library (KGZ), Zagreb
- Once upon a time in Vrbovec, Jelkovec library (KGZ), Zagreb
- Štrige i štriguni, illustration (Zdenko Bašić) and photography (Iva Lulić) exhibition from the book Moon Shadows (Legendfest, Pićan)
- Witches from “Moon Shadows”, (Lukavec castle, Legendfest)
- Once upon a time in Vrbovec, Voltino library (KGZ), Zagreb
- Once upon a time in Vrbovec, Sv. Kamilo de Lellis, Caritas house for elderly, Vrbovec
2014.
- Fairy Divyca in the city of Fairy Alkime, Montenegro Nautical Museum, Kotor, Montenegro
- Krk-Fairy Island, Trsat Croatian bookclub, Rijeka
- Krk-Fairy Island, Photoclub Split Gallery, Split
- World of Artuses, Pićan (Legendfest)
- Once upon a time in Vrbovec, Little Gallery, POU Vrbovec
- World of Artuses, Lukavec Castle (Legendfest)
- Podravina Between Myths and Legends, Molvar Art Circle Gallery, Molve
- Dreams of the past, Voltino library, KGZ, Zagreb
- Krk-fairy island, Modulor Gallery, Cultural Centre Trešnjevka, Zagreb
2013.
- Krk - Fairy Island and how it all started…, Kaštel City Museum, Kaštel Lukšić
- Krk- Fairy Island I., House of Nature „Wheel“ , Lokve
- Dreams of the past, Homeland Museum Donja Kupčina, Donja Kupčina
- Krk- Fairy Island II., Decumanus Gallery, city of Krk
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, Peoples Open University Gallery, Vrbovec
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, „Višeslav“ Gallery, House of Baroque, Nin
- Krk- Fairy Island I., Lapidarij Gallery, Omišalj
- Krk- Fairy Island I., Decumanus Gallery, city of Krk
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, Decumanus Gallery, city of Krk
2012.
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, Pasaž Gallery, Ljubljana
- World of Artuses-Gorski Kotar, House of Nature „Wheel“, Lokve
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, Voltino library, KGZ, Zagreb
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, Photoclub Split Gallery, Split
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, Peoples Open University „Augustin Vivoda“, Homeland Museum, Buzet
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, Centre for education and training Slava Raškaj, Zagreb
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, Koprivnica City Gallery, Koprivnica
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, „Old Bookstore“ Gallery, Nova Gradiška
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, GKČ „Ante Jagar“, Novska
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, Ante Kovačić City library, Zaprešić
2011.
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, HDLU, Zagreb
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, House of Nature „Wheel“, Lokve
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, Student Centre, Zagreb
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, Croatian Post Gallery, Zagreb
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, City Hall, Zagreb
- Fairies and Elves Artuses, Zilik Gallery, Karlovac
Projects
Podravina Between Myths and Legends (2012.-2015.)
The project Podravina Between Myths and Legends is inspired by folk tales of Podravina, myths and legends. Besides the myths and legends these photos at the same time portray the natural beauties of Podravina and its traditional rural architecture. The project includes the local residents, children, adults and the elderly, who play a role of various characters from folklore, myths and legends of Podravina. The project combines art and ethnology and promotes intangible cultural heritage and ecological values through several different aspects: art photography as a way of communication, the revival of folk tales, awareness of the need to preserve environment and nature, promoting natural beauties and presentation of autochthonous landscapes.
Once Upon a Time in Vrbovec (2014.)
The project Once Upon a Time in Vrbovec was created in association by Iva Lulic and Vrbovec Open University. The photos were taken as an attempt to capture the spirit of the old days when people lived without modern technology, electricity, gas, phone… Photos evoke the past of Vrbovec and also show folk costumes from the 19th and early 20th century - working costume, festive costume, wedding costume and costumes from all segments of human activity. In these photographs, we can see traditional rural architecture from Vrbovec.
Krk – Fairy Island (2013.)
The project Krk – Fairy Island was created in cooperation by Iva Lulic and the Krk Town Cultural Centre. This project introduces us to the world of legends and also points beauty and diversity of the Croatian island landscapes. The foundation for the project was found in Vêyskih povêda, the third of ten Krk's legends. This legend talks about settlement of the island and a meeting between Matan, who was a newcomer, and Divÿcom, the golden fairy. Shooting at the authentic island locations were performed in April 2013. The project eventually resulted in an enviable amount of photographic material. All participants of this project, especially those native to the island, were most surprised with discovery of fascinating places and locations - so dilemma arose whether to show to the world the true beauty of the island or still try to keep it undiscovered since these are a unique fairytale paradise landscapes. Art project Krk – Fairy Island at the Creativity and Inovation Day award ceremony in Zagreb 2014 has won an award in the category Creative and Innovative Project in Culture and Art.
Dream Visions of the Past (2013.)
The project Dream Visions of the Past is the result of joint effort by Iva Lulic and Donja Kupcina Ethnographic Museum. A series of photographs taken in the Ethnographic Museum evokes memories of rural people's everyday life. In her photos the author brings us the past and represents it as a dream vision in wich reality blends with a dream. A number of folk beliefs and folk tales are still preserved in memories of Donja Kupcina residents. The author has shown in her photos a small part of it. One of stories is about an angel with a towel and washbowl that follows those children who have forgotten to wash the face in the morning. At noon when the bell rings angel pours out the water. This story teaches children to wash the face in the morning. Children from Donja Kupcina have played a role in creating these photos. A photograph shows the appearance of a fairy at a well. In Croatia there are beliefs in numerous fantastic creatures but mostly in fairies. In Donja Kupcina people believe that a fairy can be seen at night near a well.
Fairies and Elves Artuses/ The World of Artuses (2010.-2011)
The idea of the artistic concept Fairies and Elves was formed in January 2010 in the Vladimir Nazor Orphanage Home in Karlovac and it was implemented in the spring, summer and autumn 2010. The idea has been based on a photograph which shows the fairies and elves in the natural environment – the fairies and elves are the children from the Vladimir Nazor Orphanage Home in Karlovac who, like the little elves, live without parents. Maybe that very special circumstances empowered them to grasp some wisdom of life earlier than the rest of us. This fact has transformed them into fairies and elves and has made them to grow beyond materialism inherent in human beings. These kids do know that love is the driving force of the universe and that a pure heart is a key to happiness and that sincerity is the best gift you can give your fellow beings. The popular legend says that the world was better place while fairies walked around the world. So, these fairies and elves might be our last chance to make the world the better place once again. Iva Lulic is convinced that the world might become much nicer place if people would let this little fairies and elves to teach them life and the way of living. The aim of such photographs is to show the children as beautiful little elves in the settings of Croatian natural beauty. Croatia is a country bursting with beautiful landscapes which are, in author's mind, adequate to spiritual beauty of these children. Her artistic and personal aim is that each and every child get their own original set design and their own landscape in which beauty and imagination rule. Fairies and elves from Karlovac, Croatia have got their specific elvish name Artus.
Children, who are the protagonists of autor's fairytale photographs, are real just like spaces and landscapes that belong to the real world. Firmament, sunsets, shadows and effects are natural. All effects on photographs were created on the spot without use of a computer technology. She subordinated screenwriting and directing to a beauty of particular landscape and to a simple and innocent children's play.
The drama is real; emphasized with light and story which is set in its natural environment - the clean idyll of untouched nature in which small actors become very involved in their own roles. The author seeks her expression in digital photography which she uses as a painting medium. She performs artistic composition in the spirit of tradition of Western art of romanticism and symbolism of the 19th century. The idea and realization of these photos are based on the synthesis of symbolic, magical and spiritual.
The project The World of Artuses is a continuation of the project Fairies and Elves Artuses from 2010. In 2011 during the ten-day summer camp in Fužine with wards from the Vladimir Nazor Orphanage Home in Karlovac a new series of photographs of Artuses was created. These fairies and elves were integrated in the natural beauties of Gorski Kotar, Croatia.