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While Others Played Games, Dino (19) Collected Art: Meet Croatia's Youngest Antiques Dealer
🇭🇷 Croatia /Culture & Society

While Others Played Games, Dino (19) Collected Art: Meet Croatia's Youngest Antiques Dealer

From Večernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Dino Šimunjak, 19, is Croatia's youngest professional antiques dealer, specializing in Croatian modern art and 18th-20th century decorative items.
  • He developed his passion from his grandparents and aunt, spending his early earnings on art books.
  • Šimunjak has curated his first solo exhibition at the Museum of the City of Zagreb, showcasing his collection, which includes rare Viennese porcelain and works by prominent Croatian artists.

While many his age focus on college, social life, or early career steps, 19-year-old Dino Šimunjak immerses himself in the world of art and antiques. He spends his days surrounded by old paintings, porcelain, silverware, and art history books, a passion that has earned him the title of the youngest professional antiques dealer in Croatia.

I have only a few pieces, but they are very important to me. These are items I would never sell.

— Dino ŠimunjakDescribing his collection of Viennese porcelain.

Šimunjak's journey into this world began in childhood, nurtured by his grandparents and an aunt who managed a major antiques shop in Zagreb. He recalls using his first earnings, even small amounts like 30 or 40 kuna, to buy art books, emphasizing that literature remains his primary source of knowledge. His collection now exceeds a hundred items, a scale he hadn't fully realized until the exhibition's curator pointed it out.

They offered me serious money, but I couldn't. Some things simply have no price.

— Dino ŠimunjakResponding to whether he would sell certain cherished items.

His collection features significant pieces, including Viennese porcelain from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, which he considers irreplaceable. "There are things that simply have no price," he states, even when offered substantial sums. His other great passion lies with Croatian modern painters. His collection includes works by renowned artists such as Menci Clement Crnčić, Edo Murtić, and Julije Knifer, and he holds a particular fondness for the nearly forgotten painter Angjelko Uvodić, whose work he found little information about.

I was looking for information about him in books and found almost nothing. And he is an extremely high-quality artist.

— Dino ŠimunjakDiscussing his efforts to find information on the painter Angjelko Uvodić.

Šimunjak's dedication has culminated in his first solo exhibition at the Museum of the City of Zagreb. Part of the "Because I Love Zagreb" series, the exhibition highlights private collectors and their contributions to preserving Zagreb's cultural and historical heritage. This year's exhibition focuses on Šimunjak's collection of Croatian modern paintings and decorative arts from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, offering a unique glimpse into the city's artistic past through the eyes of its youngest collector.

I introduced myself to this world actually by my grandmother, grandfather and aunt who ran the largest antique shop in Zagreb. I grew up with them and it came naturally.

— Dino ŠimunjakExplaining how he got into the antiques business.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Večernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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