Zeljko Kujundzic

An artist and an academic who left his mark worldwide, Zeljko Kujundzic, Professor Emeritus of Pennsylvania State University, was born in Subotica, Yugoslavia, October 23, 1920, where his artistry took roots. He received a master’s of fine arts degree from the Institute of Fine Arts in Budapest. His artistic media included sculpture, clay, painting, printmaking, metal, stained glass & weaving.

Zeljko was a Founder and Director of the Kootenay School of Art in Nelson, BC (now part of Selkirk College) from 1959 to 1963 and head of the Art Department at Pennsylvania State University’s Fayette Campus from 1971 to 1982. His award-winning art has been exhibited in public and private collections around the world including Italy’s Palazzo Medici-Ricardi, the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., Edinburgh University, Pennsylvania State University, National Sculpture Collection, Toronto, and Kyoto National Museum in Japan.

He was commissioned to created the Thunderbird sculptures at UBC’s Thunderbird Stadium, and The Gate of Life, a 135-ton sandstone archway. This monument at the Jewish Community Centre in Uniontown, Pennsylvania is dedicated to remembering those who died in the Holocaust.

Zeljko was also a writer and inventor. One of his major achievements was a working solar kiln. His autobiography, Torn Canvas, documents his early years and his experiences in WWII, including escapes from both the Nazis and the Russians. He died in 2003 at the age of 82 in Osoyoos, BC Canada.

Examples of his work may be seen on this site.