Martina Grlić
Martina Grlić (b. 1982, Zagreb) is a Croatian artist whose practice centres on figurative painting and the narrative potential of the image. Her work explores the introspective layers of memory and
socio-historical legacies, engaging with the politics of remembrance, modes of image interpretation, and gender aspects. Through ethnographic and autoethnographic approaches, she reimagines everyday objects tied to female experience, transforming them into compelling visual compositions. Grlić’s paintings explore identity in post-socialist contexts, merging clear memories with surreal elements to prompt reflection on personal and cultural histories.
Grlić graduated with an MFA from the Academy of Fine Arts, Zagreb, Croatia. She has exhibited at Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb; Kunstlerhaus, Vienna; Ningbo Museum of Art, Ningbo, China, and the National Museum, Gdansk, Poland. Among her solo exhibitions are Memory Projects (Fragment Gallery, New York, 2024), Mindscapes (Galerija Bačva, HDLU, Zagreb, 2022; Kibla, Maribor, 2023), Hypermnesia (Lauba, Zagreb, 2021; Fragment Gallery, Moscow, 2021), Distinct Realities (Potemka Galerie, Leipzig, 2019), Memory and Conflict (Karas, 2018), and Collective Dreams (Galerija Kranjčar, Zagreb, 2017). Her works are included in the collections of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Zagreb, Erste Bank, and the Zuzāns Collection in Riga. She lives and works in Zagreb, Croatia.
SELECTED SOLO SHOWS
2026 8th biennial of painting, Gallery Klovićevi dvori, Zagreb, Croatia
2025 8th biennial of painting, GMV Sermage Palace, Zagreb, Croatia
2024 Memory Projects, Fragment Gallery, New York (USA)
2023 Mindscapes, Kibla gallery, Maribor (SI)
2022 Mindscapes, Bačva gallery, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)
2022 Hypermnesia II, Fragment gallery, NY (USA)
2021 Hypermnesia, Fragment gallery, Moscow(RU)
2021 Hypermnesia, Lauba, Zagreb (CRO)
2020 Distinct realities, Winarts, Milan (IT)
2019 Distinct realities, gallery Potemka, Leipzig (D)
2018 Memory and conflict, Gallery Karas Zagreb (CRO)
2017 Collective dreams, Kranjcar Gallery, Zagreb (CRO)
2016 Factory, Gallery Simulaker, Novo Mesto (SI)
2015 Product, Gallery Poola, Pula (CRO)
2014 Product, Museum of Mali lošinj, Mali Lošinj (CRO)
2014 Better than reality, Gallery Zuccato, Poreč (CRO)
2014 Product, Gallery Josip Račić, Zagreb (CRO)
2013 Factory, Gallery Karas, Zagreb (CRO)
2012 World to come, Gallery Događanja, Zagreb (CRO)
2011 Atomic Landscapes, Gallery Cekao, Zagreb (CRO)
2010 Atomic Landscapes, Gallery SC, Zagreb (CRO)
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 Rose Tinted Glasses, Ojiri Gallery, London (UK)
2023 Visibles, Museum of contemporary art, Zagreb (CRO)
2022 Crush, Backhaus Projects, Berlin (DE)
2022 Manscaping, The Hole gallery, L.A. (USA)
2021 6th Biennial of painting HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)
2021 Halfway through, Fragment gallery, Moscow (RU)
2019 54th Zagreb Salon “Without Anesthesia”, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)
2019 Known Unknowns, Westpol, Leipzig (DE)
2018 Searching for reality-Jadranka Fatur and hyperreal, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb (CRO)
2018 Traces of water, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)
2017 4th Biennale of painting, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)
2017 THT PRIZE, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb (CRO)
2016 51st Zagreb Salon “Challenges to Humanism” , HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)
2016 Exporting Zagreb — Constructing the Present of Memory, National Museum,Gdanjsk (PL)
2015 3rd Biennal of painting, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)
2015 Second CEE Countries Contemporary Art Exhibition, Ningbo Museum of art(CHN)
2014 Mundus vadit retro, Gallery KIBLA, Maribor (SI)
2014 32nd Youth Salon, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)
2013 New croatian realism, HAZU, Zagreb (CRO)
2013 2nd Biennal of painting, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)
2013 53rd Annale Art must be beautiful, Poreč (CRO)
2013 48th Zagreb Salon, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)
2013 T-HT prize, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb (CRO)
2012 Pars pro toto, Loft Sevigne, Paris (F)
2012 31st Youth Salon, HDLU, Zagreb( CRO)
2012 Erste Fragments 8, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb (CRO)
2011 The other reallity: emerging croatian painters, Kunstlerhaus,Vienna (A)
2011 1st Biennal of painting, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)
2010 22nd Slavonia Biennal, Gallery of Visual Arts, Osijek (CRO)
2010 45th Zagreb Salon, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)
2010 30th Youth Salon, HDLU, Zagreb (CRO)
Selected Press
Flash Art Magazine. Ceruti, Michela. “Martina Grlić: Saccharine Idyll, Trotoar / Zagreb.”, 2025. [Link]
Artforum. Mindlin, Valerie. “Exhibition Review: Martina Grlić: Hypermnesia.”, 2022. [Link]
Contemporary Art Issue. Foucquet, Maxime. “Martina Grlić: Saccharine Idyll.”, 2025. [Link]
Les Nouveaux Riches. Deska Nikolić, Kristina. “Interview with Martina Grlić.”, 2025. [Link]
Meer Magazine. “Memory Projects: Martina Grlić.”, 2024. [Link]
Yale University Radio (WYBCX). Carey, Brainard. “Interview: Martina Grlić.”, 2024. [Link]
Vizkultura. “Martina Grlić: ‘I believe there is a shared memory that distances us from ourselves.’”, 2024. [Link]
Večernji list. Car, Maja. “Martina Grlić Exhibition: Memories of Tito and Youth Day.”, 2018. [Link]
Jutarnji list. Kiš, Patricia. “Working-Class Dreams in the Time of Socialism.”, 2017. [Link]
tportal.hr. “Toys from Yugoslavia are the most resilient witnesses of time.”, 2014. [Link]
Župan, Ivica. “Martina Grlić: Atomic Landscapes at SC Gallery from 19th to 27th May 2010.” Forum, Literary Magazine of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 2011. [Link]
Publications
Babić, Jasminka. Bartolić, Vilma. Munivrana, Martina. Vidljive/The Visible Ones. Group exhibition catalogue. Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb. 2026.
Rodrigues, Martina. Martina Grlić: Saccharine Idyll. Solo exhibition. Zagreb: Trotoar Gallery, 2025.
Gottwald, Gaella Alexandra. Ten Editions (Erste Fragmenti). Group exhibition. Zagreb: Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU), 2024.
Munivrana, Martina (cur.), with Jasminka Babić, Vilma Bartolić, Branka Benčić, Valentina Radoš, Rozana Vojvoda, and Ana Škegro. The Visible Ones. Group exhibition. Zagreb: Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU), 2023.
Bakšaj, Tena. Martina Grlić: Mindscapes. Solo exhibition. Zagreb: Bačva Gallery, Croatian Association of Artists (HDLU), 2022.
Buntak, Tomislav. 5th Biennial of Painting. Group exhibition. Zagreb: Croatian Association of Artists, Meštrović Pavilion (HDLU), 2019.
Srhoj, Vinko. 18th Triennial of Croatian Painting – Blue Salon: Realisms of Privacy: The Subjective in the Objective in Recent Croatian Painting. Group exhibition. Zadar: National Museum Zadar, 2019.
Zanki, Josip. Martina Grlić: Memory and Conflict. Solo exhibition. Zagreb: Karas Gallery, 2018.
Babić, Vanja. Martina Grlić: Collective Dreams. Solo exhibition. Zagreb: Kranjčar Gallery, 2017.
Marciuš, Željko. 4th Biennial of Painting. Group exhibition. Zagreb: Croatian Association of Artists, Meštrović Pavilion (HDLU), 2017.
Hatadi, Tea; Marjanić, Suzana; Stanić, Marijana. Challenges to Humanism. 51st Zagreb Salon of Visual Arts. Group exhibition. Zagreb: Croatian Association of Artists, Meštrović Pavilion (HDLU), 2016.
Kosmala, Katarzyna. Exporting Zagreb. Group exhibition. Gdańsk: National Museum Gdańsk, 2016.
Marciuš, Željko. 3rd Biennial of Painting. Group exhibition. Zagreb: Croatian Association of Artists, Meštrović Pavilion (HDLU), 2015.
Živković, Barbara. Martina Grlić: Product. Solo exhibition. Mali Lošinj: Gallery Fritzy / Lošinj Museum, 2014.
Gavrilović, Feđa. 32nd Youth Salon. Group exhibition. Zagreb: Croatian Association of Artists, Meštrović Pavilion (HDLU), 2014.
Babić, Vanja; Gottwald, Gaella. Erste Fragments. Ten Editions. Exhibition Catalogue. Rijeka: Erste &Steiermärkische Bank d.d., 2014.
Gavrilović, Feđa. Martina Grlić: Product. Solo exhibition. Zagreb: Josip Račić Studio, Moderna Gallery, 2013.
Gavrilović, Feđa. Martina Grlić: Factory. Solo exhibition. Zagreb: Karas Gallery, 2013.
Gavrilović, Feđa. New Croatian Realism. Group exhibition. Zagreb: Glyptotheque, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (HAZU), 2013.
Hatadi, Tea. 48th Zagreb Salon – Identity. Group exhibition. Zagreb: Croatian Association of Artists, Meštrović Pavilion (HDLU), 2013.
Briski Uzelac, Sonja; Radoš, Valentina. 23rd Slavonian Biennale GLUO. Group exhibition. Osijek: Museum of Fine Arts, 2013.
Turković, Evelina. T-HT Award MSU. Group exhibition. Zagreb: Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb, 2013.
Babić, Vanja. Pars pro Toto. Group exhibition. Paris: Galerie Loft Sévigné, 2012.
Franceschi, Branko. 45th Zagreb Salon – Market. Group exhibition. Zagreb: Croatian Association of Artists, Meštrović Pavilion (HDLU), 2010.
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Remains
Sense and sensibility
Things which make history
Dissociated
Another bow
Imaginary friends
Palimpsest 1
Palimpsest 2
Palimpsest 3
Palimpsest 4
Palimpsest 5
Contemplating Innocence
Silk roses
Ruined
