Rino Banko

Rino Banko works in the field of visual arts, sculpture, and design objects, utilizing traditional materials such as stone, wood, ceramics, and metal. His primary focus lies in the materials themselves—exploring their inherent limits and the interplay between matter and form. He is an active member of the Quark Ceramics Center at the Academy of Applied Arts in Rijeka (APURI), where he conducts research into digital modeling and 3D printing in ceramics.
Alongside his academic work, he runs his own art studio, engaging in a diverse range of projects within the arts and their application in both exterior and interior spaces. In addition to his exhibition work, he has completed several sculptural projects that are permanently installed in public spaces. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Rector’s Award from the University of Rijeka (UNIRI).
He earned his Master’s degree in Sculpture from the Academy of Applied Arts in Rijeka in 2018, where he currently serves as an assistant in the Department of Sculpture, teaching within the undergraduate and graduate programs in Applied Arts and Art Education. Over the years, he has exhibited his work in numerous group and solo exhibitions both in Croatia and abroad—including in Zagreb, Rijeka, Kostrena, Opatija, Lovran, Labin, Pula, Umag, Piran, and Koper (Slovenia), as well as Düsseldorf (Germany). Notable exhibitions include the International Ceramics Exhibition in Piran (*Keramos: Here and Now – A Look at Contemporary Ceramics*) and the International Exhibition of Drawings and Sculptures in Koper (*May Salon*). At the Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral in Rijeka, he participated in an exhibition organized in collaboration with ICOM Croatia (International Committee of Museums, UNESCO) as part of the *Participatory Museums in the Community* project. Other significant exhibitions include *Twins* (featuring ceramics from Rijeka and Faenza), the 13th and 14th Triennial of Croatian Sculpture, his solo exhibition of sculptures and drawings titled *Portals* at the Cvajner Gallery in Pula, and the solo exhibition *Inhabited Sculpture* at the Student Dormitory Gallery in Pula. He has worked on set design for several film productions, most notably Ridley Scott’s *Gladiator II* and Netflix’s *Valhalla*.