Danijel Jaman (Split, 1975) is a contemporary Croatian artist and the founder of an artistic direction he calls “New Pop Art.” He graduated from the Academy of Arts in Split, where he received the Dean’s Award as one of the most distinguished students of his generation.
His work is recognizable for its strong visual energy, vibrant colors and a distinctive approach to pop art. Key characteristics of Jaman’s style include:
-
Bold, saturated colors, strong contrasts, and wide chromatic ranges.
-
Almost all paintings are painted over the frame, creating an additional 3D illusion in space.
-
The banana motif as the artist's signature — a symbolic self-portrait that introduces humor, irony, and a critical perspective on the main theme of the painting.
Jaman combines traditional painting with real three-dimensional objects, integrating them into the composition. His works include elements such as license plates, vinyl records, paintbrushes, chess pieces, telephones, mobile phones, coins and Swarovski crystals.
In the series “New York,” “Charlie,” “I Love You Too,” and “Bang Bang,” he advanced his experimentation by incorporating LED lighting, creating new color gradations, depth, and dynamic interaction with space.
In his most recent body of work, Jaman returns to his roots by transforming graffiti art and street culture. Graffiti becomes the background layer, while the foreground narrative — filled with humor and irony — reveals raw human drives such as ambition, greed, and obsession with success. Works such as “Ice Cream Billionaires,” “Flamingo Love,” “Bad Ass Mickey,” and “All the President’s People” are prime examples of this evolution.
In this latest cycle, Jaman further enhances the compositions by introducing fluorescent pigments combined with UV lighting. This gives the graffiti background a 3D character and rich texture, while the colors become vivid, vibrant, and dynamic, making the painting appear almost as a living object within the space.
Jaman’s artworks invite viewers to play, smile, and rediscover the joy of color, while simultaneously encouraging reflection on fundamental human values.
Because of his distinctive aesthetic, his works have become an inspiration in interior design and are part of numerous private collections worldwide.