"The goal of connecting music and painting is the result of awakening the same feelings in us when we listening to music or watching a work of art."
Vedran Ružić was born on 26th of August 1986 in Rijeka. Since the earliest age, he shows tendency to painting, but during high school education he takes up on different kind of art – music. Ružić starts to play the bass guitar and is generally self-taught, only formal education being attendance of Kärtner Landeskonservatorium in Klagenfurt during 2009.
During that period he starts to play the double bass and only three years later, in 2012, Ružić is awarded with Status for the best jazz bass and double bass player. For a several years he plays in jazz projects of eminent Croatian musicians, such as Darko Jurković Charlie, Branimir Gazdik, Marko Ramljak, Zvjezdan Ružić, Goran Končar, Marko Tolja, Elvis Stanić, Voices of Nature, etc.
After several years of playing in different projects, Ružić enters the new era in his musical story by publishing his first album, Night Speaking, in 2015. His work inspires him and takes him on some new, yet undiscovered paths, so in 2016 he creates a new project, Spiritual Market, in which he combines jazz music and art movie. In that movie he had a role both as an actor and a co-writer.
Quality of the album is recognized by the profession so Ružić gets nominated for Porin in two categories – the best jazz composition and the best jazz album, taking home the award for the best jazz album. With goal to combine different kinds of art with music on each project, in 2019 he publishes his third album, Libertin, where he combines music and contemporary dance.
Along with playing professionaly, since 2010 Ružić uses painting brush more and more often. In 2013 he enters Academy of Applied Arts in Rijeka, course painting, and finishes studies in 2018 with final paper on the subject 'Combining Music and Painting'. Painting music through abstract form is the direction in which Ružić's painting is developing.
Recently he also started to create sculptures inspired by music. For the last few years he held exhibitions in many galleries all over Croatia and in Europe, while some of the sculptures are set as permanent exhibits in Opatija.
Photo thanks to: Anita Nadj, Jelena Vlahović, Ira&John, Nataša Alavanja