Tomo Shijak (1930-1998) - One of the most important representatives of the Macedonian avant-garde
Tomo Shijak was born on March 15, 1930 in Kosovo Pole, while he spent his childhood in Dobrevo-Probishtip. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana. He has realized several solo exhibitions and study trips in France, Italy, England, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, etc.
1946-1950 he worked in the "Dekor Biro" in Skopje, a period when he made a large number of portraits of historical and current political figures in larger dimensions. He drew illustrations in "Nova Makedonija", "Osten", "Trudbenik", "Edinstvo", "Sport" etc.
1953 He performed his first mural, the monumental decorative composition on the City beach in Skopje He became a member of DLUM (the Association of the Fine Art Artists of Macedonia), and then of SLUJ.
1956 -1957 He completed many monumental painting compositions in Skopje: in the former restaurant “Vardar”, in the House of the Disabled, in the hotel “Turist”, in the cinema “Bambi”, in several private houses, in the Hotel for the Disabled in Ohrid, in the restaurant “Atina“in Beograd etc.
He designed figures for the puppet theater “Siljan Shtrkot” (“Siljan the Stork”).
1967 Organizes an exhibition in his studio. 1972 Makes the "Symbol of Justice" in the building of the Municipal Court 1 in Skopje.
1975 He took the post of an advisor for fine arts in the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia in Skopje where he worked until his retirement.
1982 He made illustrations, TV and ballet settings, display panels, photographs.
One of the most significant performances is the Venice Biennale in 1978, when Shijak exhibited the work "Day" and "Night", together with Petar Hadzi-Boshkov and Dushan Percinkov from Macedonia, the group "Shempas" from Slovenia, Ivo Frishchik from Croatia and Predrag Neshkovik from Serbia, as official representatives of the SFRY at the Venice Biennale on "From nature to art and from art to nature."
Until the end of his life, Shijak remains consistent with the bold experimental action and the recognizable works, of his most innovative and aesthetically significant "musandri", in the collective Macedonian artistic memory will be remembered as icons that radiate the aura of their transcendental power.
He won the following awards:
1977 - The Second Place on the Autumn Salon in Banja Luka
1986- “The Masters of Nerezi”, at the exhibition of DLUM,
1986 - Order of Labor with a silver wreath from the Precedence of the SFRY,
1988 - The "October 11" Award for long-term achievements.