Ivan Kožarić was born on 10 June 1921 in Petrinja, Croatia. In 1943 he took up studies at the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts, where he was taught by professors Frano Kršinić, Vanja Radauš and Antun Augustinčić. He graduated and subsequently completed a master course by professor Augustinčić in 1949. Kožarić first exhibited his works in 1953. In 1959/60 he spent a brief period in Paris. At the beginning of sixties he was member of the Zagreb cult group Gorgona. His works were presented in around 100 one-man exhibitions and some 200 group and thematic exhibitions. His most notable appearances were at the Alexandria Biennale, the exhibition La jeune sculpture in Paris in 1960, the Venice Biennale in 1976, Biennale in Sao Paulo in 1979, in the Paris Museum of Modern Art in 2002 and at the Kassel Documenta 11 in 2002. His latest major retrospective was held in the Haus der Kunst in Munich (June to September 2013). His sculptures stand in public spaces across Croatia. Among the many awards he received, the Josip Račić Prize of 1994 and the Vladimir Nazor Lifework Prize of 1997 should be mentioned. Kožarić is represented in numerous contemporary art collections in Europe and the world. The whole of his studio, comprising over 6000 works, was purchased in 2007 and is on permanent display in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb.