SLAVKO KOPAC BIOGRAPHY

1913
Birth of Slavko Kopac on 21st August in Vinkovci, in northern Croatia, where he completes his primary and secondary education.

1933
Kopac enrols in the Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb and gets his diploma in 1937.

1937
First exhibitions in Croatia.

1939
The French Government awards a study grant to Slavko Kopac. He moves to Paris for one year.

1940
In September Kopac returns to his country and becomes an art teacher at the Mostar grammar school, then at the Zagreb classical grammar school. At the time, he exhibits individually and takes part also in group exhibitions, in particular at the Venice Biennale.

1943
Kopac leaves for a study trip in Italy and settles in Florence, where he stayed until 1948. During that period, he enrols at the Florence University, reading philosophy. This stay in Italy is marked by many group and individual exhibitions, especially in Florence, Turin, Rome, Trieste…
The work from this Italian period is mainly water colours and gouaches.

1948
Kopac leaves Italy to, this time for good, move to Paris.
There, he meets Jean Dubuffet, whom he befriends and works on the establishment of the Art Brut collection and on its publications.
Kopac becomes curator of Art Brut collection until its transfer to Lausanne in 1975.
Simultaneously, Kopac pursues his work of painting, sculpting and ceramics.

1949
Kopac illustrates his friend André Breton’s poem “Au regard des divinités” (In regard to the deities) (published by the author). Target text and illustration by Slavko Kopac, published by the author.

1950
He takes part in the Surrealist almanac of the half-century.
Slavko Kopac expressed himself through multiple techniques and materials. He combines vinyl painting, sand, car tyres, metals and other combined materials with the classical method of oil on canvass or wood.
For his sculptures, he uses ceramics, cement, stone, wood, lava, glass, terracotta and coal.

1951
“The sun sets in the country of elephants” text and illustration by Slavko Kopac, published by the author.

1953
Slavko Kopac gets married in May, he will live at Montmartre with his wife, from this date to his death.

1954
Birth of his only child, Laurent.

1957
He spends the summer in Vence, where he meets Alphonse Chave, then Jean Dubuffet’s friend. That year, Chave organises him his first individual exhibition in his Gallery.
Seduced by this small town of the hinterland of Nice, he will return to it every year to spend his summers.

1959
Works intensely, acrylic painting on canvass, as well as on paper.

1962
Acquisition of a small house in Vence, where Kopac often stays and works.

1967-1968
“Météores” (Meteors), text by his friend Radovan Ivsic and illustration by Slavko Kopac.

1969
A trip to Zagreb with his wife and his son.

1970
Starts experimenting with sculptures made of papier mâché. He will pursue this until the end of 1972.

1972
“Mes très riches heures” (My very rich hours), text and illustrations by Slavko Kopac, published by Pierre Chave.

1975
With Jean Dubuffet, Slavko Kopac organises the shipment of the Art Brut collection to Lausanne. He becomes a member of its Board of Directors and attends its annual meetings.

1977
Kopac arrives in Zagreb, where an important retrospective was organised for him at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

1981
The Art Centre at La Galerie Paris dedicates a retrospective to Slavko Kopac.

1982
Trip to New York for the printing and signing of Kopac lithographies.

1985
Galerie Alphonse Chave pays homage to Jean Dubuffet. On that occasion, the two painters Kopac and Dubuffet get together for an exhibition of their work.

1987
Another trip to Italy. Kopac gets back to Florence and finds the old friends from his youth.

1988
Kopac goes through a serious surgery. Following a long rest, he slowly returns to his activities.

1989
He makes the stage curtains for the town of Osijek’s theatre (eastern Slavonia). A trip lasting several days, which allows him to return, with great joy, to his native town. Unveiling of the theatre curtain in December.

1991
Long stay in Vence. On the return trip to Paris, tired, he suffers a stroke.

1992
Exhibition at Galerie Alphonse Chave. Kopac becomes a member of the Croatia Academy of Sciences and Arts in Zagreb.

1994
Publishing by Pierre Chave of “Chapeau ivre” (Drunken hat), text and illustration by Slavko Kopac.

1995
Slavko Kopac dies in Paris on 23rd November.

Source: Kopac – Association for the Promotion of Arts at the Paris City Hall, 18^th April-12^th July 1996