Academic sculptor Pero Jelisić stayed in Tuzla from 17.4. until 10.4.2026. year, among other things due to filming scenes of a documentary film about his work and life, recalling his childhood and growing up, evoking memories of a time from which he remembers only good events. During his stay in Tuzla, Jelisić visited many places that he has fond memories of. After the ceremonial reception in the city administration, on April 17, Jelisić, with his entourage, visited the "Meša Selimović" high school where he was an art teacher for three years, and after that he visited the Tuzla International Portrait Gallery, where he once had a studio where he worked and created. Jelisić visited the places where his monuments, sculptures, installations and busts are located in the Tuzla region.
Pero Jelisić was born in Ajdinovići in 1939. His parents died in the Second World War, so he and his sister Dragica were brought to Tuzla. In Tuzla, i.e. Kreki, he was accepted, raised and educated by the Đurđek family - Anto Braco and Johana. Johana Đurđek, aunt - as Jelisić called his guardian, is of Italian origin in the Segat family. Johana is the daughter of Giovani and Maria Segat, born on 7 March 1906. in Simin Han. She died on September 3, 1982. in Tuzla. The family lived in Donja Kolona in Kreka. He finished elementary school at the Solana school, a secondary teacher's school in the building of the former Kloster, and then entered the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. He graduated from the Academy in 1964 in the class of professor Frano Kršnić. After completing his studies, he entered and completed the Master's workshop of professor Vanja Radauš in Zagreb in 1967. He has been a member of the Croatian Society of Fine Artists since 1965. Pero Jelisić is the winner of a large number of national awards for sculpture and is the author of numerous public monuments in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. He is a participant in numerous collective and independent exhibitions throughout the former state and Europe. He is the winner of numerous awards, among which the award won at the international competition for the monument to Nikola Tesla in Prague and the award of the Tesla genius for the future association stand out.
During his visit to Tuzla, Pero Jelisić was happy to share anecdotes and events from the time when he lived or worked in Tuzla. He knew Franja Leder, who respected and trusted him, as well as Ismet Mujezinović, who saw him as a son. Many may not know that together with Leder he participated in the construction of the Bridge with Statues. Ismet Mujezinović led the art section, which was attended by numerous renowned painters, but Ismet always singled out Pero Jelisić as the most promising. Many articles and TV interviews have been written about Pera Jelisić's turbulent and successful life, and he wrote his very interesting biography for the book "Italians in Tuzla 1880-2019", authored by Tihomir Knežiček. Jelisić's extremely valuable interview for Nacional on the occasion of the Tesla Spirit Award was published on February 17, 2026. – available on the website
https://www.nacional.hr/pero-jelisic-nikola-tesla-nije-povijesna-figura-on-je-suvremenik-svima-nama/
