JOSIP BOTTERI DINI - Culturenet

BIOGRAPHYJosip Botteri Dini was born on 3rd June, 1943 in Zagreb. He is a citizen of both Zagreb and Split. Between1958 and 1961 he was attending Zagreb Jesuit Seminary and he graduated from secondary school “ĆiroGamulin” in 1963 in Split. During his education he spent most of his free time drawing and painting, visitingmuseums, galleries and art exhibitions, so he could direct his creative energy as much as posssible towardspreparing for the study of fine arts. He enroled in the teacher’s college Visoka pedagoška škola in Split, departmentof fine arts, in the class of Ante Kaštelančić and Croatian literature. However, already after finishingthe first year in Split in 1964, he went to the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. His professors there were theacclaimed artists and pedagogists: Ljubo Ivančić, Ferdinand Kulmer, Vjekoslav Parać, Krsto Hegedušić, IvoRežek and Miljenko Stančić, in whose classes he graduated in painting in 1968. Each of them, with theirpersonal interests, in a way contributed to the formation of Botteri’s individuality and spontaneity in hisartistic development. After receiving his diploma from the Academy, he returned to Split, where he startedhis gallery Salon d’art. In 1970 he taught history in Knin’s grammar school, and in the autumn of the sameyear in Bol he taught art in the primary school and art history in the grammar school. He was the principalof Galerija umjetnina “Branislav Dešković” gallery in Bol from 1970 until 1975, when he joined the CroatianAssociation of Artists and became a freelance artist in the Croatian Freelance Artists’ Association. His artis bestowed with lightness and virtuosity of his sense for drawing, which he uses to turn a painting into anemotional vision, from disturbing and powerful emphasis to calm moves and surfaces with which he reducesthe tonus of harmony between spiritual-apocalyptic-mythical painting visions as a personal psychogram andart expression. He has travelled around the world a lot and he exhibited his works on numerous solo exhibitionsin Croatia and abroad, thus presenting his artistic creativity in many sacral cycles realised while usingalmost all painting techniques from oil and acrylic on canvas, paper, wall paintings and altarpieces, screenpainting and poetic and graphic portfolios in collaboration with Croatian poets, as well as numerous mosaics:the Church of St Cross in Siget and St Jerome in Zagreb, the Military Ordinariate of Croatia, a Franciscanchurch in Dubrava, St Anthony’s church in Pula, St Agnes’ church in Medulin, the church of the Franciscannunnery in Zadar – Arbanasi, the parish church in Dicmo, stained glass and mosaic in St Andrew’s churchin Split, the paintings in Christo Re church in Porto D’ascoli in Italy, stained glass in the Apostolic Nuncio toAustria in Vienna, stained glass in the parish church of St Cross in Wulkaprodersdorf in Austria, as well asstained glass, mosaics and paintings in the parish church of Tomislavgrad, and stained glass and mosaics in StLeopold’s church in Melbourne, Australia. Due to his works, Josip Botteri Dini is a one of the central figuresin Croatian contemporary art, having prepared, until today, 103 solo and more than 80 group exhibitions inCroatia and abroad. He is also an illustrator and graphic designer for books. He took part in the founding ofthe Art Academy Split and twice lectured there and he was also a vice dean for fine arts. After 1990 he servedas president of Matica hrvatska in Split three times, in an effort to introduce the cultural wealth of Split andthe area to world heritage as a continuity of the cultural creation in Split and Dalmatia. He is a member ofthe Croatian Fraternal Union and the Brethren of the Croatian Dragon. His numerous works today decoratemany sacral and profane facilities of public purpose, as well as acclaimed galleries.He lives and works mostly in Split.His address is: Nikole Tesle 21, 21000 Split. Phone: 021/384 255, 091 578 31 57.26