I started drawing when I was 2 years old, I went to School of Applied Arts and Design (Department of Visual Design) (ŠPUD), and got a bachelor degree in Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. 

I would describe myself as flexible. I have good knowledge of different styles and I'm willing to learn and adapt. Even though i specialize in 2D Illustrations, I have expirience in sculpting and animation.

BIOGRAPHY 
Martin Zalar was born in Zagreb on June 02, 1995, where he graduated from the School of Applied Arts and Design (Department of Visual Design). After graduation, he enrolled into the Arts Academy in Split where he spent two years. In 2016, he continued his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, where he graduated with an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts at the Teaching Department (university bacc. art, 2020). He enrolled in graduate university studies at the same department. 
During his studies, he attended a summer course at the Stonemasonry School (Pučišća, island Brač) and made a sculpture in stone there. He had several collective and five solo exhibitions of paintings and book illustrations in Zagreb and Split. In addition to painting, he illustrations books for children and youngstairs, professional literature and comics, paints scenography and posters for theater performances. 
His picture book The Proud Elephant (2023, text by Jasmina A. Žiljak) was shortlisted by the children's jury for The Sheep In a Box Award for the best Croatian picture book. The graphic novel The Case of Mirko's Brother (2021) by the writer Melita Rundek, for which he drew more than a hundred illustrations, received the international Dragan Radulović Award. 
In April 2024, he painted the mural "Sea" on the facade of a house in Trogir, at 106 Tina Ujevića Street, with motifs of sea animals. 
Since 2022, he has been a member of the Croatian Society of Fine Artists. Martin Zalar lives in Zagreb, in the Republic of Croatia.

EXHIBITIONS
2017 
COLLECTIVE STUDENT'S EXHIBITION for the one hundred and tenth anniversary of the founding of the Academy of Fine Arts (ALU) in Zagreb 
2018, 2020, 2021 and 2022 
CASH AND CARRY,  group exhibitions at ALU in Zagreb 
2020 
PERSPECTIVES, collective exhibition at ALU in Zagreb
2023 
SHATTERING solo exhibition of paintings, Trešnjevka Culture Center Gallery in Zagreb
2024 
SEQUENCE OF FRACTURES solo exhibition, Gallery of the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb
2024 
APPLYING COLORS solo exhibition of paintings in the Marko Marulić City Library Gallery in Split
2024 
SUMMER REFRESHMENT solo exhibition of paintings in the Vladimir Nazor Library Gallery in Zagreb
2024 from May to December - solo exhibition of book illustrations in the Libraries of the City of Zagreb (Kajfešov brijeg Library, Marin Držić Library, Savica Library, Medveščak Library, Jelkovec Library)

SCENEGRAPHY FOR THEATER PERFORMANCES
-curtain for the play THE STORY OF THE YUCKSIES OR WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO EAT PROPERLY, acrylic on canvas (Friend Theater, premiere 2015) 
-curtain for the play GRIGOR VITEZ: THE GAME CONTINUES, acrylic on canvas (Friend Theater, premiere 2016; the play received the Croatian Actors' Award 2017)
- moving scenery for the play CROATIAN FAIRIES AND WITCHES, spray painting technique (Friend Theater, premiere 2020; the play received a special award at the 15th Gumbek days.)
- scenography for the play THE FAIRYTALE ABOUT THE GOLDFISH, acrylic on canvas and sprays (Friend Theater, premiere in 2024)

POSTERS FOR THEATER PERFORMANCES
- poster for the play FABLES FOR US TODAY (Friend Theater, premiere in 2021).
- poster for the play I WANT TO BE, I WISH TO BE (co-production of Sisak Theater, Friend Theater and Cirkus Punkt Theater, premiere in 2022)
- poster for the play GREETINGS FOR GREETINGS (co-production of Theater &TD and Theater Cirkus Punkt, premiere in 2024)
PICTURE BOOK
Illustrations for the picture book THE PROUD ELEPHANT based on the text by Jasmina Aleksandra Žiljak, publisher iNNi MiNi, 2023 (selected by the children's jury in the shortlist for „The Sheep in a Box" Award) 
MURAL
SEA mural on the facade of a house in Trogir, Tina Ujevića Street 106, facade paint and spray (2024).
COMICS
Illustrations and artistic identity for the comic JUDIT (2022, 25 pages) based on the text of Zrinka Dodig and Ana Tafra on the occasion of the five hundredth anniversary of story„Judit“ by Marko Marulić, Ljevak Publishing House. The comic book was recommended for reading by the Croatian Library Association and included in the List of good books for children and young people in 2022.
Comics CHRISTMAS 2020 based on text by Hrvoje Zalar (unpublished)
Comics in literature and language textbooks for Alfa and Ljevak publishing houses

ILLUSTRATIONS FOR TEXTBOOKS AND BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
About three hundred illustrations for the graphic novel series for children by Melita Rundek MIRKO AND GLAVODER (2020); THE CASE OF MIRKO'S BROTHER (2021) Publishing house Ljevak and MIRKO IN THE HELL OF THE CLASS (2023) Publishing house Opus Gradna. For the second part of the series in 2022, Melita Rundek received the regional Literary Award "Dragan Radulović" for exceptional achievement in the field of literary creativity for children and young people, and the book was shortlisted for the Grigor Vitez Award and the Mato Lovrak Award.
Sixty illustrations in the technique of felt-tip pen and pen for literary texts in the university. textbook IF TREES COULD WALK: POEMS AND STORIES FROM CROATIAN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE Volume 1 and Volume 2 (D. Zalar, series Manualia Universitatis Studiorum Zagrabiensis, 2018), Center for publishing activities of the Faculty of Teacher Education in Zagreb.
Cover illustrations: Professional textbook by Ivana Cindrić ASSESMENT AND THE COMPETENCE TO ADDRESS YOUNG FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNERS (2019), Center for publishing activities of the Faculty of Teacher Education in Zagreb; 
Cover Illustrations; the novel of Jasminka Tihi-Stepanić GLOVE FOR MATILDA (2021), Publishing house Ljevak; 
Cover illustration: collection of poems I THOUGHT IS LOVE/ LA PENSéE AUSSI EST AMOUR (2022, bilingual), 1st elementary school Petrinja
Acrylic illustrations for the cover and digitally enhanced photographs (30) for the university textbook MARK WROTE TO ANA. STUDIES ON WRITERS AND BOOKS IN THE LIGHT OF READING ENCOURAGEMENT (V. Velički-D. Zalar, 2021), Center for publishing activities of the Faculty of TeacherEducation in Zagreb.
Two comics and ten illustrations in pencil and watercolor technique for school reading books for the second and third grade of elementary school THE ALMIGHTY HOUSE AND THE PLAYING HOUSE (D. Zalar-D. Dvornik-F. Petruša, first edition in 2009, in continuous use to this day in Republic of Croatia and Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina),  Alfa publishing house
Twenty illustrations for Mark Twain's novel THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN,  Foundation I Hear, I Believe, I See, 2023.
Digital portraits for Mira Kolar-Dimitrijević's book IGOR KARAMAN. LIFE, WORK AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMIC HISTORY OF CROATIA, Plejada, 2023 and for Matka Globačnik's book HISTORIZM AND MARXISM IN CROATIAN IDEOLOGICAL CONFLICTS OF WORLD WAR II, Plejada, 2021.
Portrait of Božidar Prosenjak for the book THE WILD HORSE OF BOŽIDAR PROSENJAK - BOOK OR PHENOMENON? Studies, reviews, views, evaluations, opinions. The novel in teaching and in other media, Articulation Publishing House, Koprivnica, 2023.
Fifteen illustrations and cover for the book THE STORIES ABOUT TOYS (multiple authors), Stav Publishing House, Marija Bistrica, 2024.
Illustrations for Milijana Kovačević's book of poems A SPELL SHORT BUT SWEET, Bošković Publishing House, Split, 2024.