The Ceramic Work of Zeljko Kujundzic

Zeljko Kujundzic is an artist I’m quite familiar with. I’ve heard him described as “Canada’s Picasso” by those who know his work but, as yet, his art doesn’t garner the posthumous national recognition he deserves. His personal story is fascinating. His credentials are impressive. The range of mediums in which he was adept are incredible. Since I first saw a work of his many years ago, I continue to be impressed by and smitten with his work. So much so that I launched Torn Canvas, a website to try to help give him a broader audience. However, for this post, I would just direct you there for a deeper dive into his life and career as this will focus just on his ceramic work.

Zeljko’s pottery has a flair and style all his own. From small, humble bowls to large and spectacular sculptural works, Zeljko had a mastery over clay and glaze that is unmistakably his. Functional ware ranges from the basic to the sublime. To date I’ve found basic chawan style bowls (far left), to elaborately decorated teapots (centre). He used a number of glazes, colour combinations, and was quite comfortable sourcing materials from the earth. Shown here is an example of a glaze he created using the ash from the Mt. St. Helens eruption in 1980 (far right). He even created a fully working solar kiln which was capable of generating heat  up to 2800 Fahrenheit.

​Zeljko’s sculptural work is where his style and skill is most evident. He created many works of tribal looking statues incorporating his Byzantine roots, some Mayan influences from his travels in Central America and also some Canadian indigenous flourishes from his work and study with the Kootenay people back in the 1950s.

“In Council,” shown here (left), is a fine example of his sculptural work. 28" tall with a white overglaze, this is a classic example of Zeljko's style.

The scale of his larger works could be nearly 48” tall at times. Take “Undersea Hunter” (shown above) for instance. It was created for exhibit at Expo 84 in Vancouver. On the smaller side in scale, but no less powerful, this sculptural piece titled “Ancestor” (shown below) is only 8” tall. 

He would also complete works showcasing his classically trained skill and mastery over clay. “Zeljko’s Piggy Bank” (shown below) is a large scale sculpture of the female form. It incorporates tribal marking and glazing of the body all over. The delicate features of the head and face are exquisite. An exceptionally fine piece of sculptural pottery. Clearly art, not craft.

If you have any works by Zeljko or have any information to share regarding his art and career, please contact me.