Svetozar Radakovich

b. 1918, Yugoslavia; d. 1998, USA

Svetozar Radakovich masterfully explored design and technology in his sculptural jewelry forms. From 1955-1959 he taught painting, drawing, and design at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. After moving from New York to California in 1959, he worked full time in his studio with his wife Ruth, and became more focused on jewelry, metalwork, and architectural sculpture. Working together but independently, they explored the potential of forged and cast jewelry in the late fifties. Radakovich also taught at Palomar Community College and San Diego State University and established bronze casting as a course of study at San Diego State in 1966. Radakovich's work was featured in the exhibition "Heirlooms of the Future" at the Mingei Museum in San Diego, CA (1993-1994) and he was named a National Living Treasure by the state of California in 1985.