Julije Knifer (1924, Croatia – 2004) is one of the key personalities of the Croatian avant-garde in the second half of the 20th century. Working in Yugoslavia and later in Paris, France, in the 1990s, Knifer’s work centred on the exploration of a single form – the meander – which over the years has become the central element of his artistic production. The artist arrived at the meander because he wanted to reach the essential by renouncing all superfluous elements. His works explore the relationship between the suggestion of infinite repetition of the motif and the limits of the canvas. The meandering river is an ancient motif seen as a symbol of the eternal flow of life, but for Knifer it has become the key to a timeless world and a way to create works that transcend themselves.