Šumski is the artist name of Ivan Blažetić. It is Croatian word whose closest English equivalent is “sylvan’, meaning something characteristic of woods or forests.
Šumski is an illustrator, muralist, painter, and sculptor. Whatever the medium, his work has a strong narrative element. He sees art as having the capacity to impart a sense of empowerment to overcome our fears and to connect people through compassion and empathy.
In 2011 he finished a Master in art education at the Academy of Fine Arts in his hometown of Rijeka, Croatia. His fascination with storytelling led to a job after graduation in Rijeka Puppet Theater, where words and imagery have a similar relation as they do in his own work. In 2015 he becomes a member of HULU (Hrvatska udruga likovnih umjetnika – Croatian association of visual artists).
Šumski made cover art for electronic music labels and worked with the band Crystal Fighters (UK) on number of videos. He paints large scale murals in public spaces to communicate and establish a new understanding of our bond with nature. His murals can be seen in Berlin, Zagreb, Trondheim, and other cities. As an illustrator he has worked for Nike, New Scientist Magazine, Affinity Designer (iPad), GQ Magazine and Igapa, the biggest supplier of paper in the E.U.
His illustrations have also been exhibited extensively in galleries like Factory Fifteen in London, and the Urban Spree Gallery in Berlin. He grew up in Rijeka, Croatia and currently lives in Berlin.
