Danijela Pičuljan

Danijela Pičuljan is a member of the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC), Geneva, the Croatian Freelance Artists’ Association (HZSU) and a member of Croatian Association of Artists of Applied Arts (ULUPUH), where she is the president of the Section for Ceramics, Porcelain and Glass from 2014 to 2020.

She held fourteen solo exhibitions, participated in several international art symposia, numerous international juried exhibitions in Croatia and abroad.

In 2017 she won a special award at the 5th International Triennial of Silicate Arts in Kecskemet, Hungary. It was awarded at Croatian Association of Artists of Applied Arts (ULUPUH) for the best project and exhibition for the year 2018. Mare Modul - ceramic marine habitats - a project to create habitats in the undersea, for the purpose of restoring and enriching marine flora and fauna. In a 2020, ULUPUH award for special contribution to the work of the association.

Artist-In-Residency: Hungary: International Ceramics Center Kecskemet, 2018, by award; China: FuLe International Ceramic Art Musemums (FLICAM), Fuping / Xi’an, 2016, invited artist. Also a selector for Croatian ceramicists for the establishment of the Croatian Museum as part of FLICAM.; Spain: Escuela de Arte Talavera, Talavera de la Reina / Toledo, 2016, by competition.

Jury members: XVI International Ex-Tempore Ceramics, Piran, Slovenia, 2015.

She held Masterclass workshops at Escuela de Arte Talavera, Talavera de la Reina / Toledo, Spain, 2016, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, 2019 and also holds ceramics workshops in her studio. Danijela Pičuljan’s works are in the collections of the Museums and in private collections in Croatia and abroad.

Artist statement

“Surface Memory” - Each sculpture emulates natural forms such as rocks, pebbles, or tree bark, capturing the traces of time that have shaped them. These forms symbolize the endurance, strength, and beauty of nature, along with its remarkable ability to create unique structures through natural processes.

In contrast to these organic shapes, I have chosen to use metallic glazes/paints as a representation of human intervention. The glaze/paint is applied in ways that reflect human presence and influence—sometimes subtly, as a gentle reminder, and other times more dramatically, to underscore the profound changes humans can impose. This interplay between the raw, unglazed surfaces and the glossy, metallic interventions offers a visual commentary on humanity’s extraction of resources from nature, often without regard for the delicate balance that nature inherently maintains.

This exhibition serves as a call to reconnect with nature, to understand its language, and to respect the balance that we all must strive to preserve. Let each sculpture stand as a reminder of the beauty we must protect and the responsibility we bear toward our planet.

In collaboration with Nikolina Rodić Grgac, my works embody the endurance, strength, and beauty of nature.