Babaseka is an utterly genuine character, drawn by the multi-talented Tomislav Livaja from his own well of intellect, art, emotion, and life experience.

Leaning against a massive turquoise wooden gate on Osječka Street in Sarvaš, a village near Osijek, awaits my two-in-one host – Tomislav Livaja and his alter ego, Babaseka, the village granny. When we spoke on the phone he asked if he should become the Baba. Since I know Babaseka quite well, though, both from social media and events where she’s either hired to mingle with visitors or perform her stand-up, Tomislav met me “off-stage” for the day.

Dreams becoming reality

We had our cup of coffee with homemade elderflower juice, properly “baba-style.” Though Babaseka isn’t physically present, her traces and spirit fill the house. The old home once belonged to a judge of tragic fate whose 1927 photographs Tomislav still keeps. The property with the house, courtyard, and its land stretches over a vast area. Here, and at his other home in the Baranja village of Duboševica, Tomislav dreams of creating an art incubator in the coming years. His incubator will provide a safe, creative space for art therapy, residencies like the ones where he took part in Iran, Germany or Belgium…, and workshops for both children and adults. For now, the house regularly hosts Trobozanke, a group of kindred spirits and folklore leaders: five women and four men who, as he says, “sing mainly for themselves.” Recently they’ve officially performed in the Czech Republic, though, and Berlin is next. Tomislav is the leader of the ensemble, as he has been one for a number of cultural associations, and has just become head of the County Centre of Excellence for Art, based at the Beli Manastir grammar school, where this Master of Fine Arts works his day job as an (beloved) art teacher.

Born in 1991 in Slakovci, Tomislav grew up in Privlaka, his mother’s hometown, which is where the original Babaseka, his grandmother Anica lived as well. She was recognized as an authentic ambassador of the region’s spirit and a true tourism brand. Souvenirs with her image, produced by Tomislav’s small craft business Stara fela, have become sought-after items at fairs, shops, museums, festivals, and online. Locals and visitors alike fall for Babaseka at first sight and at first baba chat.

“Babaseka isn’t a Šokica drag queen, though some have tried to label her that way. I don’t mind drag performers, but Babaseka doesn’t have that vibe or aesthetic. She does balance between folklore and subversion — that, I’ll admit,” says Tomislav.

Babaseka stepped out of anonymity when Tomislav illustrated Filip Golubov Car’s book. “It was during the pandemic when I made 24 illustrations for the book, but inspiration struck and I ended up drawing a hundred more. All of them inspired by Baba! I started posting them online, and one day my friend Maja Zec commented that it would make a great T-shirt! That’s when it clicked: T-shirts, tote bags, badges, magnets, patches, aprons, music boxes, puzzles, cake tins… I started small. It was October 2020, and by February, during Carnival season, my friend Filip suggested we wear Baba costumes. I had a folk costume skirt from Sonta, but I lacked a matching top, so I stitched a bit of fabric together. I added the Lennon-style sunglasses — and Babaseka was born. Her spirit resonates with everyone because she’s everyone’s and no one’s granny,” he smiles. “Baba Universalis,” I joke. “Yes — the all-granny, the borg-baba,” he replies. “Maybe the Blade Runner baba?” I add, and we both burst into laughter — not mocking her, no way.

The artist, the teacher, the craftsman

Jokes aside, slipping into a skirt was never enough. Babaseka isn’t a mask, nor merely a parody. She’s a deeply honest creation, the artistic offspring of a painter, graphic designer, sculptor, writer, singer, and player of bagpipes, diple, flutes, and samica; an expert in the folklore of Slavonia, Baranja, and Syrmia, a gifted educator, and a natural comedian. Babaseka embodies his authentic (re)interpretation of tradition and modernity, the sacred and the everyday, the personal and the collective.

Souvenirs bearing her face have become genuine cultural artefacts as they’re proudly local, yet universally relatable, carrying the signature of a versatile artist who refuses to sell a sugar-coated version of rural life.

“And that’s just fifteen percent of what I’ve got planned,” he says with a grin as we part ways.

Contact: Obrt „Stara fela“, Osječka ulica 37, Sarvaš; Facebook: Babaseka

Written by: Ivana Rab Guljaš