Bernard Simunovic

Bernard Simunovic (b. 1974) is a Croatian artist and designer who lives in Dortmund. In the early 90s, he had to flee to Germany due to the Balkans war and abandon his artistic studies in Sarajevo. He then studied visual communication und painting in Bielefeld. Since 1999, he has worked as a freelance designer and artist. Both design and the influences of photography, sculpture and minimalist architecture are incorporated into his works.

Simunovic’s work is characterised by its complex simplicity. A black line links graphic elements of classical painting and coloured collage. The protagonists of his paintings are women or animals in fleeting states of joy, love and reflection. The figures depicted creatively enter into a silent dialogue with each other. In this way, they tell the viewer a story and have a stimulating effect. Simunovic plays with contrasts – with peace and threat, irony and melancholy, freedom and confinement. His compositions therefore also trigger intimacy and introspection among audiences.