Tihomir and Marina have been making masks for ten years.
Even though you probably think of Venice when you think about masks, there are master mask-makers right here in Zagreb – Tihomir Marinković, who is a sculptor, and his partner Marina, who is a painter, Andalou Agency reports on September 9, 2017.
Arts of Masks is a studio located in their home near Velika Gorica, surrounded by nature. Away from the crowd, but still close enough to the city, they found an ideal ambience to make masks. Venetian, unique, shaman, native and ethnic, real masks and wall decorations – they are the couple’s profession and passion.
Tihomir and Marina have been making masks for ten years. Tihomir graduated from Academia di Belle Arti in Venice in 2001, and then he returned to Zagreb to pursue his passion. He has had solo exhibitions in Krk, Split, and Zagreb and has participated in several group exhibitions.
Marina graduated painting at the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Zagreb.
They divided their work so that Tihomir makes models, and Marina paints them and adds other visual details. The most popular ones are the Venetian masks.
“The idea came to me when I was studying in Venice and my colleagues and I started making masks to earn some extra money. It took some time for it to take off, but it soon became my passion and life calling,” Tihomir says.
He admits that Marina brought a breath of fresh air and love into the process.
“Most Venetian masks belong to the commedia dell’arte group, including noses, neutra, zanni, harlequin, doctor, etc. The Carnival of Venice became commercialised in the ‘80s and that’s when mask-makers began incorporating elements from different legends and stories around the world when making masks,” Tihomir says.
Marina describes how masks are made from the mould to the final product.“After a basic form of the mask is made using clay, you make a gesso mould from it and, when it’s dry, you then make
“After a basic form of the mask is made using clay, you make a gesso mould from it and, when it’s dry, you then make papier mâché masks using a special paper called carta lana, a mixture of wool and cellulose. The paper is then soaked and multiple layers are added to the mould. Then you cut out the eyes and painted using a base paint, and after that, it is coloured and decorated using gold leaves or reliefs. Finally, it is patinated to seal the colour.”
Find out more about Art of Masks on their website and Facebook.
