Dražen Pejković

Inspired by architects such as Božidar Rašica, Josip Seissel, and Vjenceslav Richter, Dražen Pejković views his dual role as an architect and artist as a creative advantage and believes that art and creative exploration have the power to offer new perspectives on the complex challenges of today. His manipulation of abstraction, associativeness, and architectural elements produces powerful sculptures in black, while the way he builds and structures these interwoven forms mirrors various architectural processes. The black pigment in his works embodies both void and substance, inviting viewers to explore this duality while echoing the existentialist search for meaning.

Dražen Pejković - umjetnik, DLightful galerija / artist, DLightful Gallery - DLightful Services

Short bio

Dražen Pejković (b. 1968) is a professional in the fields of urbanism and architecture, living and working in Split. Pejković started to pursue his artistic research in 1986 during high school and continued it under the mentorship of Josip Vaništa and sculptor Andrija Krstulović. He graduated in architecture from the Faculty of Architecture in Zagreb in 1994 and now works in the Department of Urbanism of the City of Split and IGH on project management. He is also a visiting teacher at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Geodesy in Split since 2011.

Pejković has participated in various group and solo architectural and art exhibitions and has won multiple awards in urban architectural competitions. He is the designer-in-chief and co-author of the Spaladium arena in Split (in cooperation with 3LHD architects from Zagreb), and a member of the team that created the General Urban Plan of Split in 2005.

Pejković has also written several professional texts published in Čovjek i prostor magazine and Slobodna Dalmacija newspaper. He is involved in various artistic collaborations and projects, and since 2013, has been working with the Croatian carpet factory Regeneracija – Zabok as part of the “SELF-PORTRAITS” project. Pejković’s “GENESIS” cycle, started in 2000, is conceived as a cycle of seven parts/exhibitions over seven years in a row.

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Dražen Pejković (b. 1968), lives and works in Split. He graduated in architecture from the Faculty of Architecture in Zagreb in 1994. He is a professional in the fields of urbanism and architecture and works in the Department of Urbanism of the City of Split and IGH on project management. He was elected a visiting teacher at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Geodesy in Split in 2011, and in 2016 he was a member of the editorial team for the university script RESEARCH IN URBAN PLANNING, PEDAGOGICAL NOTEBOOK Vol.2 (University of Split, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture).

Pejković is a multiple award winner in urban-architectural competitions, and a participant in group and solo architectural and art exhibitions. He chaired the Association of Architects of Split and the Association of Engineers of Split, and was vice president of the Association of Croatian Architects.

In addition to active participation in a number of publishing projects, he was engaged in the work of juries as part of the implementation of urban-architectural competitions in Split, Zagreb and Zadar, and was a member of several expert commissions in the field of urbanism and architecture of the City of Split, Ministry of Culture and Croatian Olympic Committee.

He is the author of several professional texts published in Čovjek i prostor (Man and Space architectural magazine) and Slobodna Dalmacija newspaper. He is the designer-in-chief and co-author of the Spaladium arena in Split (in cooperation with 3LHD architects from Zagreb), and a member of the team that drafted the General Urban Plan of Split in 2005.

Pejković started to pursue his artistic interests in 1986 during high school under the mentorship of lawyer and art collector Dalibor Parać and architect Neven Šegvić. During his studies under the mentorship of Josip Vaništa and sculptor Andrija Krstulović he continued his artistic research and in 1989 set up his first solo exhibition at the Golden Gate Gallery in Split, which was reviewed by architect Frane Gotovac for Slobodna Dalmacija newspaper and in 1992 his second solo show was presented at the Faculty of Architecture in Zagreb.

Since 2013, he has been collaborating with the Croatian carpet factory Regeneracija – Zabok as part of the SELF-PORTRAITS project, which resulted in the execution of 5 designed carpets and a group exhibition ART AND DESIGN IN WOOL held in 2015 in the Old City Hall in Split that presented his works among those by 25 renowned Croatian artists and designers. In 2015, he collaborated with choreographer Dinko Bogdanić and music artist Joško Koludrović on the performance of the ballet work PIXELS, which premiered at the National Theater in Split as part of World Dance Day.

2022 – “Postgenesis/3A”, Muzej grada Kaštela (Kaštela Town Museum), Kaštel Lukšić

2020 – “Singularnost”, Galerija Josip Račić Nacionalnog muzeja moderne umjetnosti (The Josip Račić Studio of the Modern Gallery) , Zagreb

2018 – “Kloniranje”, Sveučilišna galerija (University Gallery), Split

2017 – “Iz ciklusa Genesis”, Narodna knjižica Dugopolje (National Library Dugopolje)

2017 – “Evolucija”, Stara gradska vijećnica (Old Town Hall) and Studio -21-, Split

2016 – “Mutacije”, Stara gradska vijećnica (Old Town Hall), Split

2015 – “Mikroni”, Studio -21-, Split

2014 – “Mreže”, Stara gradska vijećnica (Old Town Hall), Split

2013 – “Virusi – pixelizam (1913–2013)”, Fotoklub Split (Photo club Split)

2024 – “6. međunarodni trijenale portreta”, Galerija Prica (Gallery Prica), Samobor

2024 – “Crno bijelo u boji”, with Tonka Jelača, Studio -21-, Split

2023 – “Indexes/A Virus Somewhere In Europe, Biopolitics/Necropolitics and Forms of Life in Contemporary Art”, Galerija P74 (Gallery P74), P.A.R.A.S.I.T.E. Institute, Ljubljana

2021 – “Sveučilište u Splitu i splitski umjetnici za Banovinu”, Sveučilišna galerija (University Gallery), Split

2019 – “Salon suvremene kršćanske likovnosti Ivo Dulčić”, Palača Milesi – HAZU (Milesi Palace – Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts), Split

2015 – “Umjetnost i dizajn u vuni”, in the organization of the Regenerator Zabok and the City Split

2015 – Premiere of the hybrid artwork “Pixels”, authored by Dinko Bogdanić, Joško Koludrović i Dražen Pejković, HNK (Croatian National Theater), Split

2015 – “Sukob interesa”, in the organization of the Association for Contemporary Art – KVART, Split

2012 – Group exhibition celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the international recognition of the Republic of Croatia, Stara gradska vijećnica (Old Town Hall), Split

2011 – 6th International MIKK Photography Competition on the topic: “Digitalna apstrakcija (Digital Abstraction)”, Murska Sobota, Slovenia

2011 – “1. Split Art Festival”, Akvarij (Aquarium) on Bačvice, Split

1997 – “Salon mladih”, Zagreb

His works can be found in public and private collections in Croatia (in the Kaštela Town Museum) and France.

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Dražen Pejković - Djelo br. 17, mješoviti mediji, 2020.–2021., detalj, DLightful galerija / Work no. 17, mixed media, 2020–2021, detail, DLightful Gallery