This exhibition of Vedran Klemens’ illustrations showcases a vibrant body of work, which captivate us through their spontaneity, humour, and visual inventiveness, while effortlessly appealing to a diverse audience.
A defining feature of the artist’s work is the remarkable diversity of his illustrative style, combined with a confident mastery of various visual languages and a bold expression of imaginative creativity. He moves effortlessly between the aesthetics of vintage advertising, classic comic-book artistry, and contemporary illustration trends. His subjects range from humorously reinterpreted everyday scenes, music, and biomechanical creatures to satirical portraits infused with social irony, seamlessly blending the nostalgia of 1960s Croatian tourist posters with the digital language of modern popular culture.
A particularly captivating, and arguably the most recognisable, part of the exhibition features the artist’s collaboration on label and poster designs, where he playfully draws on references from popular culture, urban history, rock music, and comics. The intimate works, mainly large-scale black-and-white and coloured drawings or raster-based graphics, depict a world of hybrid creatures and witty, erotic humour. Blending numerous allusions to film, music, and the art world with occasional social critique, these pieces create a visual dialogue between masterful draughtsmanship and a knowingly camp, self-ironic sense of kitsch.
The artist repeatedly shows that illustration, whether commercial or artistic, can be a dynamic story filled with intricate details that invite curiosity and interpretation. This exhibition presents an opportunity to explore the layers of Klemens’s imagination, wit, and especially his graphic skill. It reveals a world where illustration acts as a powerful communication tool, merging humour and art, and creating a space for creative freedom and visual experimentation.
Kornelija Krpačić
Vedran Klemens is a freelance illustrator, graphic designer, and art director. Born in 1978 in Sarajevo, he has been based in Zagreb since 1997. He earned a degree in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts and in graphic design from the Design Department at the Faculty of Architecture in Zagreb. He spent several years working at the advertising agency Grey Zagreb, initially as a graphic designer before progressing to art director. Concurrently, he worked as a freelance collaborator on projects for a variety of other advertising agencies. Since 2014, he has devoted himself entirely to his solo career. His broad professional experience encompasses illustration, graphic design, advertising, as well as artistic practice and exhibitions. As an illustrator, designer, or art director, the artist has led or collaborated on projects that have received numerous national and international awards, including the Red Dot, Doomsday – Illustrator of the Year, Face of the Book, Dan D – Special Mention, ADC Croatia, ADC Europe, IdejaX, MIXX Award, FESTO, Effie Croatia Grand Prix (including two Gold awards), European Change Communications Award, Epica Awards, and the D&AD In Book Award.
The exhibition remains open until August 31, 2025.
The exhibition has been produced with financial assistance from the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Split.