Background
Berber was born in Bosanski Petrovac, Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
Berber was born in Bosanski Petrovac, Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
He trained at the Academy of Fine s in Ljubljana where he graduated with a Bachelor and Master of Arts. In 1978, Berber received a teaching position at the Academy of Fine s in Sarajevo.
Today Berber is one of the best known graphic artists in the world. He was included in the Tate Gallery collection in 1984. Throughout his career he created cycles of paintings which chronicle events, homages and dedications.
Each cycle has its roots in Bosnian-Herzegovinian history from the medieval to the twentieth century.
His surfaces are as complex as his subjects, combining techniques from various times and places while maintaining an aesthetic and allure that has drawn collectors for the past 40 years. Berber was occupied with painting, graphic art, tapestry, illustrating and preparing bibliographic editions, graphic and poetic maps.
His scenography and costume design came to life in theatres in Ljubljana, Zagreb, Sarajevo and Washington. In 1985 Berber finished Tempo Secondo, his own animated cartoon.
From 1992 until his death in October of 2012 Berber resided and worked in both Zagreb and Dubrovnik.
From 1966 on Berber received more than fifty awards. Among many international prizes he received: Gold Medal and Honorary Diploma at the First International Exhibition of Graphic in Trieste, first award at the 11th International Biennale in São Paulo Paulo, Honorary Prix at the 10th International Biennale of Graphic in Tokyo, first award at the 7th Mediterranean Biennale in Alexandria, International Council of Museums award in Monte Carlo, the Krakow City award at the 4th International Biennale of graphic art, and the Lalit Kala Academy Grand Prix at the 5th Indian Triennale in New Delhi. Krakow Grand Prix in 1997, an Ostend exhibition entitled "Between earth and heaven" and a recent one "ist of the ideal" in Verona, selected by famous art critic Edward Lucie-Smith, confirmed Berber as one of the most significant contemporary artists. Comprehensive monography studies of Berber"s art were published by Mladinska Knjiga, Ljubljana in 1980 and 1985, by Sol Intercontinental, Ljubljana in 1997 and by East&A Agency, Zagreb in 2000.
