Jadranko Gjerek (Jed) BIO
Born in Croatia (1974) Jed emerged into the Croatian alternative art scene in the late ‘90s as a bodypainting and tattoo artist. Very soon he expends his interest in collage dealing with his experiences in the war and the postwar time in Croatia. He was doing live bodypainting performances in clubs, he ran a tattoo studio, and had several group and solo shows.
With the new millennium he extends his interest in ceramics. The next 16 years, he worked in the traditional pottery of northwest Croatia field, making his marks as researcher, educator, and maker. He was working extensively in Croatia and countries in the region (Hungary, Italy, Austria, Serbia). He published one book and few research papers on traditional pottery and has been awarded by the Ministry of Culture Croatia as a holder of intangible assets.
In 2017, with his family Jed is moving to Ireland, where he expands his practice in the contemporary art field. With his experience, he became an active part of the Irish art scene particularly with Clay Galway and Ceramics Ireland associations being member since 2018. As part of the Clay Galway team, he worked on the Clay Journey project for Galway 2020 as co-curator and co-producer among Rob D’Eath. His work has been published in Ceramics Ireland magazine and in the Very Best of Irish Contemporary Ceramics book by John Goode. He has been exhibited extensively in Ireland since 2018.
In 2019, he got advanced entry in third year in Contemporary Art with ATU (Atlantic Technological University) Galway where he is finishing his BA (hon) in 3D contemporary art studio practice.
Last two years, Jed works as an art tutor in community education with GRETB.
Education
BA (hon) Contemporary Art 3D, ATU Galway
QQI Level 6 Training and Development, DCM Ireland
QQI Level 6 Painting and drawing, Art School Fisher, Croatia
Trainings/Courses
- – 2019. Therapeutic Art Life Coach, Udemy, Ireland
- Introduction to Children First, TUSLA, Ireland
- Ceramics restoration, Varazdin City Museum, Croatia
- – 2010. Valorization of cultural tourism, EU SeeNet2, Italy/Croatia
- – 2001. Pottery/Ceramic Art, apprenticeship, Croatia
- – 2000. Studio practice, painting, T. E. Fisher Studio, Croatia
Exhibitions (curator and producer)
2021 Annual Clay Galway Exhibition, Shop Window, online and Tuam, co. Galway, Ireland, co-curator and co-producer among Rob D’Eath
2021 Clay Galway Annual Online Show, co-curator and co-producer among Rob D’Eath
2021 Clay Journeys, Galway 2020, co-producer and co-curator among Rob D’Eath
- 12+1, Varazdin City Museum, Croatia, curator
Exhibitions (solo)
2015 Kaposvar, Hungary, ceramics
2012 City hall Varazdin, Croatia, ceramics
2010 Herb Messe, Graz, Austria, mixed media
2008 Ericsson Nikola Tesla Gallery, Zagreb, Croatia, Traditional pottery of northwest Croatia
2006 Lubenice, Cres Island, Croatia, ceramics
2000 Palatin Gallery, Cakovec, Croatia, collages
Exhibitions (group)
2022 Search Engine, 3r year ATU Galway art students show, Wellpark Road Campus, Galway, Ireland, mixed media
2021 Annual Clay Galway Exhibition, Shop Window, online and Tuam, co. Galway, Ireland, ceramics
2021 Annual Ceramics Ireland Exhibition, Dublin, Ireland, ceramics
2021 Ceramics Ireland Selected Exhibition, Dublin, Ireland, ceramics
2021 Clay Galway Annual Show, online at claygalway.com, ceramics
2021 Clay Journeys, Galway 2020, online, ceramics
2020 Annual Ceramics Ireland Members Exhibition, Dublin Castle, Ireland, ceramics
2019 Annual Clay Galway Members Exhibition, Tribeton Galway, Ireland, ceramics
2017 Jugs, A unique exhibition of Irish Ceramics and Glass Jugs, McCambridge’s, Galway,
Ireland, ceramics
2015 Kerameikon in Advent, Varazdin, Croatia, ceramics
1998 Conning Gallery, Varazdin, Croatia, paintings
1997 Conning Gallery, Varazdin, Croatia, paintings
Bibliography
2021 Very Best of Irish Contemporary Ceramics, monography by John Goode
2021 Inspired by Ireland, Ceramics Ireland Magazine, issue 45/2021, by Rosa Roccaforte
2015 „Cinfranje – tradicijsko ukrašavanje lončarskih predmeta sjeverozapadne Hrvatske“
(Cinfranje – traditional pottery of northwest Croatia decoration), research work
2014 “Tradicijsko lončarstvo Sjeverozapadne Hrvatske između Drave i Ivanščice” (Traditional
pottery of northwest Croatia between Drava and Ivancica), monography, text and photo
2012 “Nematerijalno kulturno nasleđe – analiza pravnog okvira na primeru tradicionalne
keramičke proizvodnje” (“Intangible cultural heritage – legal frame analysis on traditional
ceramics production”), National Museum Beograd, selected work photo
Awards
National Treasure, holder of intangible assets for Traditional pottery of northwest Croatia, Ministry of culture, Croatia
Jadranko Gjerek (Jed) is member of
Artaxis, World Independent Network of Contemporary Sculptors and Ceramists (2020)
Clay Galway, Ireland (2019)
Ceramics Ireland (2018)
The Croatian Association of ceramists Kerameikon (2005)