Tomislav Šilipetar was born in Zagreb, Croatia. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in 2014, where he earned his Master’s degree in painting under the mentorship of Igor Rončević in the Painting Department.In 2015, he became a member of the Croatian Association of Artists (HDLU) and has since participated in numerous group exhibitions and held a significant number of juried solo exhibitions. He was awarded the Rector’s Award for Excellence in 2013, along with various other honors recognizing his contribution to art both in Croatia and internationally. In his work, he predominantly uses acrylic, exploring themes of solitude, isolation, and human existence within a judgmental society. His artistic style is characterized by a preference for glazing and line, which he uses to counter traditional academic techniques and approaches to painting, emphasizing a search for expression beyond conventional “molds.” He has exhibited in Slovenia, Poland, Lithuania, Serbia, Canada, and the United States, where he also has numerous published works in various art magazines, actively promoting contemporary Croatian art. Since 2016, he has held the status of an independent artist.

Artists Statement: This work stands at the core of my Alter Ego cycle. It is a portrait of myself—but not as I am. It’s as I might be, or as I feel in passing moments that resist explanation. In this painting, I use bold, contrasting colors—red, turquoise, yellow, and deep shadows—not simply to define form, but to expose emotional layers beneath the surface. The face is fractured yet deliberate, composed like a psychological map. Each section reveals a different inner voice, a shifting state of being. The symmetry is broken, the body open and diagrammatic, hinting at vulnerability, introspection, and the struggle to hold one self-image together. The thin arrows pointing through the eyes symbolize both pressure and perception—a constant awareness of being seen, of seeing myself through other versions of me. This work, like the rest of the cycle, is about the tension between who I think I am, and who I become each time I paint. The technique is layered and subtle—thin, smooth applications of oil that build a quiet emotional resonance. I’m never fully satisfied, and that discomfort is part of the process. In every face I paint, I search for something true—knowing I may not find it, but hoping the viewer might.