Name: Josip Lizatovic
Genres: Abstract, Expressionist, Figurative
Year of Birth: 1963
Nationality: Croatian, Based in London

Artist statement:
Josip Lizatovic embodies a unique method of figurative art. His skill as a painter lies in his ability to produce work within the boundaries that exist between figuration and abstraction, revealing an astute awareness of colour, form, layering and texture.

Using the figurative motif as a starting point, Lizatovic’s imagination permeates through the real object, resulting in a representation of his subject that touches upon the abstract. Lizatovic’s unmistakable style sees surfaces painstakingly repainted with the deliberate richness of several layers. The diffused motions of the painter’s brush are visible on the canvas and appear to blend into light and viscidity. This creates a visual dialogue in which sumptuous forms appear and then soften until they disperse, becoming unrecognisable. The end result is a body of work that transcends from physical to spiritual through an uncompromised and analytical portrait of a subject.

Josip’s work has gained wide recognition: his paintings have received coverage in the media. Originally from Croatia, Lizatovic gained his Degree in Art and Printmaking from the Academy of Fine Art in Zagreb. Recently, he has exhibited new work in Dublin and at the Brighton Art Fair. Lizatovic also featured in this year’s global publication of ‘Private Inquiry International’. His paintings have been shown in London, Stockholm as well as his native Croatia and have been purchased by private collectors on an international scale.