On Saturday, May 24 at noon, the Sculpture Park of academic sculptor Ljubo de Karina will officially open in Brseč. Located on the Starac family estate, which spans over 12,000 m², the park harmoniously hosts 60 sculptures. Mostly crafted from stone, the works represent the artist’s most significant sculptural cycles (Stone on Stone, Penetrations, Verticals, Verticals with Opening, Altar, Glagolitic Letters, Stone Pebbles, Lunar Cycle).

Ljubo de Karina is a sculptor of exceptional talent with a deep sensitivity for working with natural materials, especially stone and wood, though he also works with metal. His recognizable body of work blends organic and geometric abstractions in simple forms. His sculptures reflect a profound connection with nature, space, and spirituality, as well as with his Mediterranean roots and the traditional culture of his homeland. With masterful use of mass and volume, he explores the relationships between solid and empty form, weight and balance, and the interplay of matter, space, and material. His work is inspired by mythological tales, Slavic mythology, and the mystical character of Neolithic culture.

Although the first sculpture was installed on the future Sculpture Park site in 1996, preparations for the park formally began in 2012, when construction and renovation of the family house on the Starac estate in Brseč were completed. In 2013, he created a Mythical-Historical Trail of Slavic Mythology featuring symbols of the gods Perun, Veles, and Perun’s wife Mokosh. Over time, the number of sculptures on the property grew — all the result of de Karina’s personal dedication, tireless energy, and selfless contribution to the community.
The Sculpture Park will be open to the public on weekends (from October 1 to May 30), and on other days by appointment.

Born in Rijeka in 1948 and raised in Brseč, de Karina showed a talent for shaping forms from an early age. He enrolled in the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Ljubljana in 1967, but transferred the following year to the Academy of Fine Arts in the same city, where he graduated in sculpture in 1972. He later honed his skills in the Master Workshop of Professors Vanja Radauš and Antun Augustinčić in Zagreb. Since 1973, he has worked as an independent artist.

De Karina has held numerous solo exhibitions, including major retrospectives at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka (1992), the Glyptotheque of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (1999), and the “Josip Račić” Studio of the Modern Gallery in Zagreb (2019). In 2006, he exhibited at the “Juraj Šporer” Art Pavilion in Opatija. He has also participated in many group exhibitions and sculpture symposiums, earning several professional awards for his work and creativity.

Since 1978, he has lived in Zagor near Brseč, where a gallery of his works is located. His sculptures are on display in public spaces throughout Croatia and abroad — including Opatija, Rijeka, Labin, Baška, Lokve, Fužine, Trieste, Tokyo, Kawasaki, Portorož, and many other locations.

Note: Parking is available at the entrance to Brseč, and visitors will be directed to the Sculpture Park from there.