Goran Merkaš was a painter and graphic designer. Born in Varaždin (1950 – 1996), he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in the class of Prof. Šime Perić in 1974. Having been awarded the first drawing prize at the 8th Youth Salon in Zagreb in 1976, Merkaš was early recognized as a prodigiously talented artist and participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions (e.g. Varaždin, Zagreb, Karlovac, Modena, Čakovec, Castelfranco Emilia etc). His distinctive graphic and design opus is unprecedented, as it was created over the course of twenty years (from 1977 to 1996) for only one theatre – the Croatian National Theatre in Varaždin. He died in his hometown in 1996.
(Marijan Varjačić: Varaždin theatre poster, Zagreb, Vijenac No. 330, 2006)