A Conversation with Nikola Vudrag

Nikola Vudrag, born in 1989 in Croatia, is a contemporary sculptor best known for his—often monumental—CorTen steel sculptures that merge natural inspiration with complex mathematical and physical concepts. The artist was born into a family of metalworkers where he was exposed to the craft by his father and grandfather, which deeply influenced his artistic direction. Vudrag’s sculptures often explore themes derived from nature, science, philosophy, and mythology, reflecting his deep engagement with both the tangible and intangible aspects of the world. His approach to sculpture aims to encapsulate the essence of ideas, forms, and concepts in metal. In recent years, Vudrag’s international profile has grown exponentially, marked by exhibitions and public installments across the globe, from Zagreb to New York.

Julien Delagrange: Welcome to CAI, we are very pleased to have you for an interview. How have you been?

Nikola Vudrag: The pleasure is all mine! Thank you for asking, I feel fulfilled: old projects are closing and new projects are being made; the circle continues. This was a period of exhibitions, meeting new people, reaching new frontiers, new experiences, and now it’s time to close myself in the studio and live in my world for a while.

JD: For our readers who are not familiar with your work yet, could you please introduce yourself and your work in a couple of sentences?

NV: I would classify myself as a traditionalist, working primarily in steel medium while exploring classical subjects. My artistic result comes from a deliberate battle of mind and feelings, where I’m guided by intuition or insights, and at the same time, a thinker who, haunted by thoughts, needs to leave a specific message to the world in the form of a sculpture. The themes I work on are often theological, philosophical, mythological, or scientific, multi-layered into the concept or the work itself.

JD: You were born into a family of metalworkers, learning to manipulate metal from your father and grandfather. How did these early experiences influence your decision to become a sculptor? And even more, when did you realize you would use this generational transfer of skill and professional expertise to create art?

NV: A year ago, I became a father myself, and now I can fully confirm that a father is the only person in the world who sincerely wants you to become better than him. With this approach, my grandfather and father passed on their knowledge to me, not to become an artist, but to know how to create with my hands. 

Metal processing was passed on to me mostly through play, and that approach to work created a bridge between my desire for technical knowledge and philosophical reflection. The “serious game” approach reconciled the questions of “how” and “why.”

Given that our identity in this new age is becoming what we do and dedicate our lives to, I can say with gratitude that my identity has been passed down through the generations. I hope that I, too, will be able to pass on all this knowledge to my son, regardless of his choice of path in life.

JD: Why did you opt to use CorTen steel specifically?

NV: CorTen steel has a special ability to preserve itself with the rust that usually destroys normal metals. I love the irony in the oxidation process of CorTen steel, which, unlike ordinary raw iron, has a mixture of various metals such as copper and brass, which gives it longevity and a certain warmth. In that sense, CorTen, as a mixture of basic and noble metals for me, is the blood of the earth, something like “Ichor”, an ethereal fluid from Homeric myths also known as the blood of gods and titans.

JD: You often incorporate elements of geometry, mathematics, and physics into your sculptures, from geometrically rendering animals and mythological figures to sculpting a face or a waterdrop out of an intricate and transparent structure. Can you explain how these disciplines enhance your artistic expression?

NV: I believe that certain ideas need an expression or form that corresponds with it. Not to force the expression but to extract it from the material itself. A specific epic theme that is being treated needs a monumental form that corresponds to it, sometimes a material that amplifies it, like a talisman. On the other hand, the circulation coins I also model need a refined, somewhat designer approach due to the use and subject matter they address.

In some works and series, I use what I call a “Net-Work”, welding small three-centimeter metal bars in irregular geometric patterns. With assembly from 4,000 to 15,000 individual elements, this method, akin to a meditative journey, requires immense patience, unwavering persistence, and sheer determination in contrast to planning, preparing, and calculating bigger sculptures made from metal plates.

JD: Your work frequently explores themes from nature and mythology. Let’s start with nature first and your series of steel of animals. How do you choose to incorporate this inspiration into your sculptures?

NV: Animal themes are closely related to several series of mythological works that I do. Some come from the twelve Labours of Hercules, a myth that has survived for centuries because it very vividly deals with personal development, where each animal (or beast) represents an obstacle in spiritual development that a person must overcome in order to “earn their place on Olympus among the gods.” 

These same animals bear the characteristics of the 12 Titans, the 12 Greek gods, the 12 astrological signs, the 12 apostles, … So you see how the story repeats itself. He who recognizes esoteric or even mystical symbols or even finds solace in reading philosophical texts will find meaning in these works, while someone who is not initiated will probably enjoy that work depending on his own taste. 

Apart from Hercules, whose tasks I have been doing for several years, there are certain commissions where I was asked to make a Dalmatian dog and a black lizard on a coin as an autochthonous Croatian species, or a public sculpture of an animal that inhabits a specific region, et cetera.

JD: As exemplified by your installment of Prometheus and Atlas (2024), which are showcased during the 7th edition of the Personal Structures exhibition Beyond Boundaries, coinciding with the 60th Venice Biennale, mythology is arguably one of your most apparent sources of inspiration for the past few years. Can you elaborate on your interest in mythology and how you aim to revisit these narratives with contemporary sculpture?

NV: Mythology, from the Greek words “mythos” meaning story and “logos” meaning speech or word, as the name suggests, tells us a story. Having a passion for collecting, learning and reading old books, I noticed the repetition of certain patterns in these stories, which I tried following to the source. 

I began to realize that if the story has been repeated in various forms for thousands of years, there must be a certain message that needs to be heeded. Ultimately, the ones I deciphered and understood helped me to better understand myself and the world around me. I shaped them into sculptures or symbols that still resonate with the human experience and the times in which we live.

JD: Could you please expand on this particular work, Prometheus and Atlas (2024)

NV: In that notion, for me, one of the most interesting stories is the “Atlas-Prometheus” story. One sculpture represents Atlas, depicted as a hand emerging from the ground and gripping a classical pillar. The artwork is designed to convey the impression of withstanding significant pressure. “Atlas”, who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, is the name of the first vertebra in the spine that holds the head, the place where the ideal world exists. 

The second sculpture represents Prometheus, depicted as a hand being pulled by a chain. He is the predecessor of the Garden of Eden story and became a figure who represents human striving for knowledge and the risk of consequences. He is the beginning of the conscious mind, the same mind (head) that Atlas is carrying. As the character is destiny, their destiny is eternal stress and pressure, a feeling that every person has experienced in life, making these sculptures a universal human experience.

JD: You have also created a series of sculptures that are a lot more abstract and formal—think of your Diamond and Deus Ex Machina series.

NV: I mentioned earlier that I love the irony of CorTen steel, where the rusting process preserves the material. I wanted to move that irony a step further, into the concept itself, and the rusted diamonds were born. When I made the first rusty set of diamonds, I wanted to achieve some micro level of perfection that is impossible for both hand and machine. I struggled for a long time to accomplish this until I accepted that only the imaginary world of ideas can reach the perfect form—our reality cannot, never. 

We live in a world of ideas, but we form reality with matter. Surrendered to madness in pursuit of perfection, I turned the whole concept around and started forming negative forms like molds instead of shapes. Then a whole new direction appeared, metal shells with clearly visible buckles and connecting elements as a symbol of shape and form, and an intense light inside where that metal mold shapes the idea formed by the light. I got raw and monumental shapes during the day and elegant light during the night, like a light drawing, an idea that emerges from matter.

JD: Public sculpture is destined to interact with its environment, especially in an urban setting. They are very present, often monumental in scale and prominent in place. How do you see the role of public sculpture today?

NV: In my mind, there is a clear distinction between public art and memorial sculptures. One carries a concept and deals with current or future time, while a memorial deals with honouring past events or people. Both types of public sculptures deal with social issues, only one tells who we were, and the other tells where our spirit aspires. 

I think that we need more of both, especially in this period when art is becoming more and more dematerialized, to maintain a healthy balance between the physical and the conceptual. To achieve this, we need better communication between artists and state administrations that approve such projects. 

In my hometown of Varaždin, where I live, the city administration has a commission for public art where every artist can come forward with their proposal, and if the idea is good and feasible, and within a certain budget, it has a great chance of being realised. In my opinion, that would be a good example.

JD: Your career has been impressive over the past few years. Do you have any advice for young artists who are trying to make a career as a sculptor, especially from the cost-intensive and competitive perspective of public sculpture?

NV: For me, life is a learning process and we all go through our lessons, with art being a very individual process for each artist. But there is one important thing I would like to share with young artists: We are usually engaged in art, but the greatest inspiration comes in the period when we are not doing art. 

Society and the people we are surrounded by greatly shape our course of development. So surround yourself with inspiring people, they will recognize your passion and love for creation and will help you on that next step of your own artistic and personal development. Our enemy is not a lack of inspiration, nor the end of life, but the unstoppable passing of time, so use the time you have left after creation to spend it with good, quality people.

JD: Looking ahead, are there any new series or future projects in the fore that you would like to share with us? What’s next?

NV: As we know, it is easier to start than to maintain, and on the international professional art scene, it is possible to sustain oneself through continuity: developing one’s art, personal growth, and consistency in work. Quality and thoughtful exhibition opportunities must align with the context and philosophy of creativity that I live for. 

In addition, reaching a wide audience is crucial feedback in terms of objective criticism necessary for the valorization and affirmation of understanding what I aim to convey through my art, an essential dialogue between the artist and the audience. Currently, my team is working on arranging new projects for the upcoming year, focusing on institutional exhibitions and installations in public spaces, while I, after intense exhibitions in recent months, finally surrender to the studio and creation. 

It’s time to return to solitude, self-reflection, and old books, almost treading the fine line between reason and madness in search of a new personal “Eureka!” moment. And, of course, there are still a few Hercules labors left to finish!

For more information, please consult the artist’s website or LinkedIn.

Last Updated on August 19, 2024