Maja Frankovic. Multimedia graphic artist

She followed pottery and drawing courses at Camden Arts Centre in London in 1970/71 where she had her first group exhibition. She graduated from the Art Department of the University of Rijeka taking majors in printmaking and art history. She took her M.A. degree in printmaking from Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana, Slovenia. She is full professor of printmaking and art books design as well as ex dean at Academy of Applied Arts in Rijeka.

She undertook study residencies to New York and to Paris. She has been resident at Cité Internationale des Arts from 1991 till present where she regularly, every two years worked at lithographic studio. In 1995 she started to work on her artist’s books and printed them for the first time at Cite des Arts graphic studio. From 2005 to 2009 she lived and worked in Paris and on everyday basis worked at the litho studio at Cite des Arts, producing prints which were awarded in 2009 with the highest Croatian national prize for graphic arts.

Her main fields of interest are colour etchings of larger formats, colour lithographs on stone, artist’s books of different sizes and handmade paper making. She has printed 23 graphic portfolios and more than 150 artist’s books. She has exhibited at 65 solo and more than 350 group exhibitions in Croatia, Europe and all over the world. She held solo exhibitions in Rijeka, Zagreb, Split, Osijek, Opatija (all in Croatia), Paris (Cite Int. des Arts), Neuss and Jockgrim in Germany, Ljubljana in Slovenia, Pordenone, Rome, Cordovado and Quaderni/Verona in Italy, Stavanger in Norway and many others. The main group exhibitions: Contemporary Croatian Art, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi, India (2007); Triennial of Croatian Graphic Arts in Zagreb (in 2012, 2009, 2006, 2002. 2000, and 1997); Art Book Fair in Frankfurt in Germany (2012, 2008, 2003); International Biennial of Graphic Arts in MGLC, Ljubljana, Slovenia (2009, 2003, 2001, 1997, 1995, 1993); International Triennial of Prints in Cairo, Egypt (2006, 2003, 2000); International Biennial of Masters of Graphic Arts in Györ in Hungary; L’Europe des graveurs, in Grenoble (1989); L’Etange d’Art (1999), Bague in France; La gravure de l’Europe d’Est (1989) in Menton, France and exhibitions in Sweden, Japan, Austria, Spain, Poland, Turkey, Australia, USA, China,  Argentina, Chile, Malaysia, Jordan and many others.   

She was awarded 17 times for her printed art, 14 times nationally and 3 times internationally.

She was visiting professor for one semester, in 2003, at the International graphic school “Il Bisonte” in Florence, Italy. She is founder of the summer lithography studio in the medieval town of Brseč in Istria, Croatia. Under the EU project Password: Printmaking (partners: Belgium, Frans Maserel Centrum, Kasterlee; Spain, Hablar en arte, Madrid; Poland; Biennial of Graphic Arts, Krakow; Estonia, Tallin Art Academy, Slovenia, MGLC Ljubljana and Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka,Croatia) she took part as organiser of international graphic workshops.

Two monographic books about her art work were published in 1998 and 2007 along with numerous catalogues.

Her printed artworks make collections of numerous museums, estates and libraries in Croatia, Italy, France, Hungary, Spain, Germany, Poland, Japan and USA. Her artist’s books are part of collections of Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris, Biblioteca Civica of Pordenone, Italy, National and University Library in Zagreb, among others.

In 1988 she started her professional career as professor of printmaking at the Art Department of the University of Rijeka. In 2003 she was author of the curricula of the new Academy of Applied Arts in Rijeka where she holds indefinite tenure in printing.

She is proficient in French, English and Italian.

She lives with her family in Rijeka, Croatia.