Ljubinka Savić Grassi was born in 1922 in the village of Ilino, not far from Mount Rtanj. Even as a young girl, she displayed an exceptional talent for drawing and art, and dreamed of making it her life’s calling.
Although her parents did not support her decision, her grandfather Rista, a veteran of the Salonika Front, believed that artistic talent should never be restrained.
She first graduated from the School of Arts in Niš and later from the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade, where she began her journey toward becoming one of the most renowned sculptors of her era.
In Belgrade, she met her husband, Swiss sculptor Giuseppe Pino Grassi, who had been invited to the city to work on the sculptural decorations of the façade of the French Embassy. His advice and experience greatly influenced the direction of her future artistic work.
Throughout her career, she created numerous busts, reliefs, and monuments that can still be found across Serbia, from Belgrade to Boljevac, Valjevo, Sremski Karlovci, and many other places.
After her husband’s death, she continued working under modest conditions, turning her focus to smaller sculptures and portraits. Most of her priceless works, many of them dedicated to mothers and children, were created during this period.
She held exhibitions in London, Lisbon, Florence, Stockholm, and other cities around the world. Today, her works are housed in the National Museum of Serbia, the Nikola Tesla Museum, the Historical Museum of Serbia, and the British Museum in London.
Despite receiving numerous international accolades, Ljubinka never forgot her roots. In her native village of Ilino, she built a family home and a summer studio designed in the traditional Serbian architectural style, which remains open to visitors. Her previously unexhibited sculptures have also been put on display at a well-known hotel on Mount Rtanj.
MORE TOPICS:
FROM A CAMP IN SERBIA TO VENEZUELAN LEGEND: How Marija from Kruševac became América Alonso!
THE LOST ISLAND ON THE DANUBE: This is the Forgotten History of Ada Kale and Duke Milenko’s Harem!
Source: Mediji Foto: Canva Ilustracija