Vasilj Irena – Rain’s Oculars

Irena Vasilj (born September 10, 1976, in Zagreb) is a Croatian academic graphic artist, painter, and art educator. After completing the School of Applied Arts and Design in Zagreb, she graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Mostar, with her diploma recognized by the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education, and Sports. She also attended a residency program at the School of Visual Arts in New York, where she participated in final exhibitions and received official certificates.

Vasilj primarily works with collage, spatial collage, tape art, ready-made, and assemblage. Her art explores imperfection as a source of creative transformation, often utilizing failed graphic prints and discarded objects. Her work is characterized by a combination of various media and expressions, creating unique artistic compositions.

She has participated in over 50 group exhibitions in Croatia and abroad and has held several solo exhibitions. Notable appearances include galleries in Mostar, Široki Brijeg, Tuzla, Zagreb, Samobor, Zadar, Varaždin, and Ptuj. Her work has been exhibited in prestigious venues such as Chelsea Gallery in New York and Cam Gallery in Istanbul.

Among her special works are the painting Old Bridge, created for the President of the Republic of Croatia in 2009, and a mixed media piece on aluminum titled Jesus, which she gifted to Pope Benedict XVI. in the same year.