BIOGRAPHY: Zlatko Jakus


Zlatko Jakus was born in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, in 1945. From 1964, he studied industrial engraving at the Zagreb School of Applied Arts. However, he wanted to explore his artistic talents as well, and had figured out that Sweden might be the place to do just that. As luck would have it, his mother was there for a short visit in around 1966, so he went up to see her and stayed for some forty years! During the first couple of years he managed to work as an industrial engraver, especially at an atelier specialising in decorative bookbinding, while at the same time learning the Swedish language.

In 1969, Jakus continued his studies, among others at the Academy of Arts in Stockholm. In 1972, Jakus was discovered and given the opportunity to learn and engrave stamps. His first ‘consignment’ was to make a copper engraving of a portrait of the Swedish king Charles XIV John. After that, he had to make a steel engraving in stamp-size format.  Jakus chose the Drottningholm Theatre as its subject. Although this was never meant to become a postage stamp, the engraving was used as a test stamp. After only some six months it was clear that his talent was very much suited to this kind of work and he duly got the offer to start engraving some of Sweden’s stamps. Even though Jakus had by now ‘arrived’, he would still attend the Academy of Arts, in order to improve his artistic and engraving talents.

Jakus’ first stamp was an engraving of a 1923 mail coach, used on a 60 öre definitive issued in 1973. This was followed swiftly by engravings of images on Gotland picture stones, and especially the much praised locomotives stamps for a booklet issued in 1975.

But Jakus was happy to get a chance to engrave more ‘organic’ subjects, which lay closer to his heart. He enjoyed immensely engraving three values for the 1973 booklet ‘Save our Animals', depicting a grey seal, a wolf and a white-tailed eagle. Rather than recreating two-dimensional images, he found it so much more exciting to try and create depth and texture on a flat plate of steel.

In fact, his engraving in 1980, for a stamp in the 'Care' set, depicting an elderly hand holding a stick, won him several worldwide awards. Jakus' 1982 engravings of wild orchids for a miniature sheet are another example of his talent, with the fine and delicate engravings of the tender flowers not being spoilt by the fact that the sheet was printed in a combination of recess and photogravure.

Jakus stayed with the Swedish Post until the mid 1990s, but after the struggle of independence in his homeland Croatia, he was to be found there more and more often. Professionaly, he became involved in engraving the first banknotes of the new republic, and also engraved a single stamp for Croatia. This was the 10d coil stamp depicting the statue of King Tomislav in Zagreb, one of the very few enrgaved stamps ever to be issued in Croatia.

You will find Zlatko Jakus' database HERE.