Croatian sculptor Nikola Vudrag debuts in Dubai’s Jetex space with the Seven Realms

by Srecko Mavrek

The Seven Realms by Nikola Vudrag at Dubai Jetex FBO Terminal represents a milestone in his increasingly well-established career.

This prestigious installation curated by Kiseki is just one of his recent international public commissions that will see him also participate at the Venice and Malta Biennale 2024. Opened in December 2023 in the context of COP28, The Seven Realms will remain on view for VIP passengers arriving and flying from Jetex until the end of March 2024.

Vudrag’s diamonds are there, like hidden precious gems, to be contemplated, touched, and crossed while moving to the terminal. Seven stories of extraordinary growth that shaped the UAE’s seven realms, meeting thousand others. “These sculptures are not mere objects but vessels that encapsulate the essence of the UAE’s diverse regions.

Iron Tapestry at Jetx – (Photo credit: Private album/Nikola Vudrag)

Each diamond sculpture represents a story of resilience, a testament to the unwavering spirit of this remarkable land,” said Nikola Vudrag. Along with the Seven Realms, Vudrag’s Iron Tapestry is also presented.

According to Kiseki Global, the sizes of the diamonds in The Seven Realms symbolically reflect the land areas of each emirate in the United Arab Emirates, emphasizing their individual strength and resilience. The use of the grainy texture in the matte symbolizes the UAE’s desert, where the stars can be beautifully observed from some of the smaller emirates.

Nikola Vudrag (Photo credit: Private album/Nikola Vudrug)

Furthermore, the allure of the Seven Realms resonates with the iconic Museum of the Future in Dubai, a city driven by its vision of the future. Beyond its modern context, the diamonds’ resemblance to stars in the night sky invokes thoughts of the UAE’s ambitious space aspirations, infusing a celestial essence into the collection.

Seven Realms (Photo credit: Private album/Nikola Vudrug)

A well-known Croatian sculptor Nikola Vudrag from the city of Varaždin has acquired a noticed international reputation after his sculpture Iron Maiden mesh sculpture was sold for an incredible 712,000 euros at the charity auction in Warsaw in June 2023. His sculpture of Nikola Tesla is included in “Sit & Meet – Path of Croatian Greats” in downtown Zagreb, which presents sculptures of 13 of the most significant and popular Croatian greats.

Vudrag is otherwise known as the author of Tudman’s bust made of bullets. He also collaborated with the Croatian National Bank and the Croatian Mint on the production of Croatian euro coins. He is the author of the conceptual and artistic designs of several gold and silver coins that were made in the Croatian Mint – Croatian Monetary Institute.

(Photo credit: Private album/Nikola Vudrug)

At the beginning of the year, he was invited by a curator from London to exhibit at the Saatchi Museum. Vudrag plans to hold an exhibition in London in the coming period, where he was invited as the first Croatian artist to represent his work and Croatia through an independent exhibition.