Dr Josip Zanki is a Croatian visual artist, anthropologist and professor based in Zagreb whose work spans graphic art, film, video, installation, performance and cultural anthropology.
A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, his early artistic work explored mysticism, symbolism and experimental visual practice, including research inspired by the Croatian Renaissance inventor and polymath Faust Vrančić.
In 2016, Josip completed a doctorate in ethnology and cultural anthropology at the University of Zagreb, focusing on the relationship between space, Tibetan thangka painting and contemporary artistic practice.
His work explores the intersections between art, ritual, memory, anthropology and human perception, combining artistic practice with cultural and philosophical inquiry across different traditions and societies.
Josip has exhibited and led research projects internationally across Europe, Asia and Latin America, and has taught at institutions including the University of Zadar and Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania. Since 2017, he has taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, where he now leads the doctoral programme.
Alongside his academic and artistic work, he serves as Vice President of the Croatian Association of Fine Artists and is a member of the European Cultural Parliament and the European Alliance of Academies Advisory Board.