Igor Kolombatovic
Igor Kolombatovic was born deaf in Greece and spent his formative years between Yugoslavia and the United States. During his short time in the United States, he studied art in Chicago. When his family returned to Yugoslavia, he continued his studies at the National Art Academy in Belgrade and then at the Fine Arts Institute in Rome, Italy. After experiencing hardship and upheaval during World War II, Kolombatovic found freedom and refuge from Europe when he was brought to Canada by Canadian Deaf leader David Peikoff. Eventually, he returned to the United States and settled down in the California Bay Area, where he attended the San Francisco Art Institute, met his wife and became an American citizen in 1965. Kolombatovic has worked for Charter USA as an Architectural Engineering Draftsman and was a docent at the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco and the Oakland Museum of California. Kolombatovic also served on the Board of Directors for D.E.A.F. Media. His artwork explores themes of freedom emerging from oppression.