Born late in the year 1993 in Zagreb, it is also where Klara Rusan spends most of her life and education. She earned a bachelor's degree at Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb at the department of Animated Film and the New Media. Plans of pursuing a career in animation were superseded by her receiving a Masters in Authorial Illustration at the Falmouth University of Art in 2017.

Her graduate thesis earned recognition as she was the recipient of the 'Masters of Art Illustration Authorial Practice: Award for Outstanding Creative Writing'. While being a participant in a number of group exhibitions ('36 Mountains' festival of illustration, 'Erste fragmenti', 'To be continued...comics and visual culture in Croatia'), she held her debut solo exhibition at the Oris House of Architecture in 2018 where she presented her first graphic novel 'Where Do People Go After They Die?'. In 2024. she had her first international solo exhibition 'ADHD - Pool of thoughts'. Presently, after working on a series of commercial art projects, Klara is working on another solo exhibition.
ANIMATIONS
2017.
• Short animation movie done for educational purposes for '#iBelong' project about statelessness done by UNHCR, Zagreb, Croatia
• Animated music video for '2 kitice' and their song '20000 milja pod morem', Zagreb, Croatia
2012. - 2021.
• Multipurpose animations for architectual symposium 'Days of Oris', Zagreb, Croatia
2023.
• Animated music video for 'Plesač Sporog Stepa' and his song 'Pusti me da plešem drukčije', Zagreb, Croatia
BOOK COVER ILLUSTRATIONS AND DESIGN
2015.
• 'Sarajevo plan grada'- Miljenko Jergović, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Doboši noći'- Miljenko Jergović, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
2018.
• 'The Craft of Editing' - Adnan Mahmutović and Lucy Durneen, Stockholm, Sweden
• 'Manji smo boemi' – Eimer McBride, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Nit koja nas veže' – Samanta Schweblin, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Malo mesto' – Kincaid Jamaica, FMK, Beograd, Serbia
• 'Politike neprijateljstva' – Ašil Mbembe, FMK, Beograd, Serbia
2019.
• 'Sezona Kentukija' – Samanta Schweblin, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
2021.
• 'Mongolske pjege' – Zoran Predin, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Nježna ravnodušnost svijeta' – Peter Stamm, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Bizarne pripovijesti' – Olga Tokarczuk, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Sedam praznih kuća' – Samanta Schweblin, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Kad smo napustili Karla Liebknechta' – Lidija Dimkovska, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Standardan život' – Olja Savičević Ivančević, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Male smrti' – Ivana Sajko, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
•  '2020.' – Danilo Lučić, Dijana Matković, Lana Bastašić, Luiza Bouharaoua, Nikola Nikolić, Rumena Bužarovska, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Tjeraj svoj plug preko mrtvačkih kostiju' – Olga Tokarczuk, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'W' – Igor Štiks, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Debitant' – Sergej Lebedev, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
2022.
• 'Politike prevođenja' – Rada Iveković, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Rekonstrukcije' – Viktorie Hanišova, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
2023.
• 'Škola Topeka' - Ben Lerner, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Psi' - Dora Šustić, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'O neuspjehu i nebitnom' - Filip Rutić, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Dovoljno dobar za tebe' - Geir Gulliksen, Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia
2024.
• 'Žabe padaju s neba' - Tamara Zamelli, CeKaPe, Zagreb, Croatia
2025.
• 'Dvanaest smjerova vjetra' - Ursula K. Le Guin, Artikularij, Zagreb, Croatia
COMIC BOOKS, GRAPHIC NOVELS AND PICTURE BOOKS
2015.
• Comic (teaser) 'Kamo ateisti idu nakon smrti?, Komikaze
2016.
• Comic for the first issue of magazine 'Skica', magazine done by and for students attending Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, (also published in 'Komikaze' comic book), Zagreb, Croatia
2019.
• Produced and self-published 'WHERE DO PEOPLE GO AFTER THEY DIE?', graphic novel made in Falmouth while doing Masters in Authorial illustration, Zagreb, Croatia
2021.
• Illustrations for picture book 'Gong', written by Miljenko Jergović, published by Knjiga u Centru, Zagreb, Croatia Illustrations for 'U ritmu jeze – ponor plesova' book, written by various writers, published by Mala zvona, Zagreb, Croatia
2022.
• Illustrations for 'Smrtni besmrtnik' book, written by various writers, published by Mala zvona, Zagreb, Croatia
• Picture book 'Tri kuće tri prijatelja', written by Jurica Pavičić, published by Profil, Zagreb, Croatia
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2015.
• '36 Mountains', , Greta, Zagreb, Croatia
'36 Mountains', HDLU, Zagreb, Croatia
2016.
• 'International Summit of Cheap Laser Graphics – ON THE EDGE' / Internacionalni laserski samit jeftine grafike', Lauba, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Space Shuttle', Medika, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Antisalon', Medika, Zagreb, Croatia
2017.
• 'Other Side' exhibition, organized by Le Cabinet SR:CH, Switzerland
• 'Ilustracija priča', organized by Lana Petrak, Oris House of Architecture, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Novi Val', organized by Tena Starčević, Vinyl bar, Zagreb, Croatia
2018.
• 'MORŽ festival', Herceg Novi, Montenegro
• 'Andrew Lanyon and Nature's Laboratoy', organized by Andrew Lanyon, Falmouth Art Gallery, Falmouth, UK
2019.
• 'Bratoljub', artistic-linguistic project and exhibition, organized by Klara Šimunović, Kulturni centar Trešnjevka, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Life and Life After Death: Life cycle of food' exhibition, organized by Paula Šantić, Design Week, Zagreb, Croatia
2020.
• 'Femicomix', Tinta festival, Dobra Vaga, Ljubljana, Slovenia
• 'Kolektart', sales exhibition, Lauba, Zagreb, Croatia
'Ment festival', music festival, Dobra Vaga, Ljubljana, Slovenia
'Nastavit će se... Strip i vizualna kultura u Hrvatskoj' / 'To be continued... Comics and visual culture in Croatia', review of comic culture in Croatia, MSU, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Nova festival', regional comics exhibition, Pančevo, Serbia
2022. - 2023.
Bologna Children's Book Fair 2022. , international illustration exhibition, travelling the whole world for 2 years:
• Bologna Children’s Book Fair 21 – 24 March 2022
• Itabashi Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan - 25 June - 7 August 2022
• Otani Memorial Art Museum Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan - 13 August - 25 September 2022
• Nanao Art Museum, Ishikawa, Japan - 3 November - 11 December 2022
• Ota Art Museum and Library, Gumna, Japan - 17 December 2022 - 22 January 2023
• Seoul Arts Center, Hangaram Art Museum, Korea - 13 April - 25 Giugno 2023
• Beijing Tianqiao Performaing Arts Center, China - 9 September - 5 November 2023
• Shenzhen - till 11 June 2024
• National Taiwan Science Education Center in Taipei /Taiwan - 29 June - 22 September
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2015.
• '(NE)POZNATO' / '(UN)KNOWN', Vinyl bar, Zagreb, Croatia
• 'Space Shuttle', KSET, Zagreb, Croatia
2016.
• 'Priče braće Grimm', Art bar, Zagreb, Croatia
2018.
• 'KAMO LJUDI IDU NAKON SMRTI?' // 'WHERE DO PEOPLE GO AFTER THEY DIE?', graphic novel presentation, Zagreb, Croatia
2024.
• 'ADHD - Pool of thoughts', 'Portraits International' gallery, Bruxelles, Belgium
• 'ADHD - Pool of thoughts', 'Klet' gallery, Zagreb, Croatia
2025.
• 'ADHD - Pool of thoughts', 'Ulična galerija' gallery, Beograd, Serbia
HONORS AND AWARDS
2015.
• 1. prize divided among 5 illustrators – Iskon illustration competition 'Iskon očima ilustratora', Zagreb, Croatia
• 1. prize Jegermeister illustration competition, '36 Mountains', Zagreb, Croatia
2017.
• MA DEGREE, AUTHORIAL ILLUSTRATION, Falmouth University of Art, Falmouth, UK
MA Illustration: Authorial Practice: Award for Outstanding Creative Writing, Falmouth, UK
2019.
• One of 9 winners in 'Erste fragmenti' competition organized by Erste Bank, two works were chosen 'Ilustratura 1' and 'Kamo ljudi idu nakon smrti?', Erste Bank, MSU, Zagreb, Croatia
2022.
• 'Male Smrti – Ivana Sajko' and 'Bizarne pripovijesti – Olga Tokarczuk' book covers design (Fraktura) got into the final of the competition 'Hrvatska lijepa knjiga' for the year 2021., organized by Nacionalna i sveučilišna knjižnica, Zagreb, Croatia
• Got into the final 78 illustrators for Bologna Children's Book Fair 2022. , international illustration exhibition out of 3873 illustrators that applied, Bologna, Italy
MURALS
2016.
• 'Dante i Beatrice play tennis in Umagu', INDIREKT festival, Danteova ulica, Umag, Croatia
2019.
• 2 murals for 'Art Park' ('Ribnjačka kontrola' i 'Krug života'), Zagreb
CroatiaMural in the main squeare in Pleternica 'Rural mural', Pleternica, Croatia
2020.
• Mural in Špansko neighborhood 'SK8orDIE' , organized by HDLU and HEP, Zagreb, CroatiaMural
• 'Ljudinjak – Mravljivi ljudi' / 'Humanhill – Antworking people' in Oris House of Architecture, Zagreb, Croatia
2021.
• Mural 'Beermaids' in beer tasting shop Ambasada, Zagreb, CroatiaMural
• 'Zaslonijevanje', made as part of the project 'Sloboda stvaranja', organized by HDLU, Odgojni zavod u Turopolju, Turopolje, Croatia
2022.
• Mural 'Food' on the main square 'Trg Bećarca', Pleternica, Croatia
2023.
• Mural 'Pješačka petlja' on 'CROZ' building, won in the competition published by 'CROZ', Zagreb, Croatia
2024.
• Mural 'Josip Krunić' on the side of the 'elementary school Antun i Stjepan Radić', Gunja, Croatia
ILLUSTRATIONS FOR INTERIOR DESIGN
2014.
• Illustrations done for the lamps in the hotel restaurant, Hotel 'Bellevue', Mali Lošinj, Croatia
2018.
• 4 illustrations for the Grand Park hotel, commissioned by Bruketa&Žinić&Grey, Rovinj, Croatia
2019.
• Illustration of coast of Lošinj for bar i restaurant 'Kredo', (500x50cm), Mali Lošinj, CroatiaIlustracija 'Evolution of pollution', (2.5x2m) for the law firm  'Odvjetničko društvo Hanžeković & Partneri', Zagreb, Croatia
2020.
• Illustration 'Scuba divers' for the front of the bar of 'Punta pool bar', Veli Lošinj, Croatia
2021.
• Illustration put on billboard as part of the 'Art Grad' project, organized by Lauba, Zagreb, Croatia
• Interior mural 'Beermaids' for beer shop 'Ambasada', Zagreb, Croatia
2022.
• Interior mural on the 7 stories high staircase in the 'Amauris Hotel', Vienna, Austria
• Illustrations put on walls in 'Segedac caffe', Pleternica, Croatia
2023.
• Interior mural on the 7 stories high staircase in the 'Amauris Hotel', Vienna, Austria
• Interior mural 'The making of pastries - From grain to mouth' for the pastry shop 'Le Kolač', Zagreb, Croatia
2024.
• Glass illustration for the entrace space of 'The Dominican Hotel', Bruxelles, Belgium
LECTURES AND WORKSHOPS
2016.
• Lecturer at the 'Impressence' symposium, Belgrade, Serbia
2018.
• Lecturer at the '36 Mountains' international festival dedicated to illustration and drawing, Zagreb, Croatia
2021.
• Workshop of digital illustration at 'Novigradsko proljeće', children's festival, Novigrad, Croatia
2024.
• Workshop of pitcure making at 'Novigradsko proljeće', children's festival, Novigrad, Croatia
• Lecturer for the desing festival 'CYAN', Split, Croatia
Workshop of digital illustration at 'Novigradsko proljeće', children's festival, Novigrad, Croatia
2025.
• Workshop of picture making at 'Novigradsko proljeće', children's festival, Novigrad, Croatia
• Member of the jury for 'Fine arts' category for 'DA festival', Zagreb, Croatia
MAGAZINES AND MONOGRAPHIES
2016.
• Illustration done on the theme of the first biobank for testicular biopsy in the public health system of the Republic of Croatia, 'Adris monografija 2007.-2017. NADA' , Bruketa&Žinić&Grey, Zagreb, Croatia
• Comic on the subject of Judgment Day, 'NEW SLANG', organized and selfpublished by Martin Burn, Falmouth, UK
2018.
• Illustrations done for children's magazine 'Brickzine' , Rijeka, Croatia
2019.
• Illustrations done for children's magazine 'Brickzine', Rijeka, Croatia
2020.
• Illustration done for 'Moj Imaginarijum' picture book, Montenegro
• Illustrations done for English textbook, commissioned by Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb , Zagreb, Croatia
• Illustrations done for Croatian language textbook 'Hrvatski bez granica 6', Školska knjiga, Zagreb, Croatia
2021.
• Illustrations done for English textbook, commissioned by Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
2023.
• Illustrations for 'Verzia Magazine', written by various writers, published by Verzia Magazine, Slovakia
POSTERS AND VISUAL IDENTITIES
2016.
• Visual identity for 'Ganz Novi Festival', Zagreb, Croatiatia
2018.
• 3 posters for 'Politički Leksikon', discussion platform about politics, Academy of Dramatic Arts, Zagreb, Croatia
• 4 educational posters about ecology for 'Odvjetničko društvo Hanžeković & Partneri' law firm and their workspace, Zagreb, Croatia
• Poster for 'Plati i nosi', organized by HDLU and Hrvatske Poštanske Banke, Zagreb, Croatia
• Poster for theater play 'Mistero Buffo', directed and played by Dražen Šivak, Zagreb, Croatia
2020.
• Poster for 'Ment festival' for the group exhibition as a part of the opening day, Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Visual identity for 14. Vox Feminae festival, organized by K-zona and VoxFeminae, Zagreb, Croatia
2021.
• Visual identity for 'Kongres umjetnika i kulturnih radnica' / 'Art and Cultural workers congress', organized by Blok, Zagreb, Croatia
2022. - 2025.
• Visual identities for 'Ljetna škola filma Gunja' and 'Novo kino Osmijeh', Gunja, Croatia
2023. - 2024.
• Visual identities for 'TOČ festival', Nin, Croatia
OTHER
2018.
• Illustrations done for 'BoliMe' mental health platform, Zagreb, Croatia
• Illustration for BORANKA project – Croatia's largest volunteer project aimed at afforestation in fire-burned areas, Zagreb, Croatia
2020.
• Illustration of album cover 'Manimals' by LOVRO, commissioned by Lovro Baletić, Zagreb, Croatia
• Illustrations for tv ad 'Bontovnici', commissioned by BonBon, Zagreb, Croatia
• Illustrations for internet ad 'MOZAIK', commissioned by A1 Hrvatska and BBDO agency, Zagreb, Croatia
• Illustrations and animations for internet and tv ad 'YOUTH', commissioned by A1 Hrvatska and BBDO agency, Zagreb, Croatia
2023.
• Illustration of album cover 'Oyfn Veg' by 'Bohai', commissioned by 'Bohai', Berlin, Germany