Nesputana, Iva Despić Simonović

Iva Despić Simonović was the first female sculptor in BiH, a woman who was successful both as an artist and as a mother during the time when women were given different roles. The exhibition opening will be held on July 11 at 8 pm.

Her sculptures testify of her extraordinary talent and skills, and her personality - real, dedicated, gentle and graceful. Iva Despić Simonović (Hrastovica kod Petrinje, Croatia, 1891 - Sarajevo, BiH, 1961) took the women's art course at the Trades School in Zagreb, and when the course was shut down, she enrolled at the Art School. She opted for department of sculpture, though it was unusual for women at that time. Her professors were Robert Frangeš Mihanović and Rudolf Valdec. As an extremely talented and diligent person, she immediately attracted the attention of professors and the public. In 1910 she exhibited for the first time. The exhibition was held in the Art Salon, her works were displayed along with the works of her school colleague Ljubo Babić. After Zagreb, she continued the education in Munich and Paris.

The exhibition by Umjetnička galerija BiH is organised as part of the Sarajevo History Book – Guidelines for Women Heritage project funded in part by a grant from the United States Department of State United States Embassy to Bosnia and Herzegovina and in collaboration with the Muzej književnosti i pozorišne umjetnosti Bosne i Hercegovine and Historijski Muzej BiH. This specific exhibition venue was chosen because it was a house in which Iva Despić once lived.

The exhibit will be open until August 8.