Mladen Kolobarić (Mostar, 1933 – Sarajevo, 2009) graduated in 1958 from the Painting Department of the Belgrade Fine Arts Academy and obtained a specialisation in printmaking. He was a professor at the Department of Graphic Design of the Sarajevo Academy from 1974; he also served as vice-dean, member of the Academy Council and long-serving head of the Department.
His long and fruitful career included numerous posters and logos for different political and cultural institutions, as well as visual identities for numerous public campaigns. He was the art director of the 1984 14th Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo. He had five individual exhibitions and participated in numerous group ones. His work won numerous awards and prizes, including the Sarajevo Liberation Day Memorial Award. About his artistic work prof. Čedomir Kostović says:
„…Mladen Kolobarić is one of the pioneers of social posters design not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also in the former Yugoslavia – the space that is now called "the region". Mladen’s personal creative interest is reflected through the posters he created on the theme of protection of environment, addressing all its aspects: water, air, forests, noise, and food, just to mention a few.
While teaching many generations of students at the graphic design department of the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo, Mladen persistently and selflessly worked on developing sensibility for things in the our surroundings. He pointed out to the problems that cry out for intervention of graphic designer. He has developed in us a strong sense of social responsibility of the profession for which we were getting ready to work in. He pointed out to us that everything we design in some way influences decisions of others, regardless of whether they decide to buy the book, to go to the theater, or trying to cope with the unfamiliar airport –even when they vote for their political party…“