{"id":18049,"date":"2026-01-27T15:09:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T14:09:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visitslavoniabaranja.com\/vidi-i-dozivi\/portret-tomislav-livaja-aka-babaseka-svacija-i-nicija-baba-universalis-uzivo-i-na-suvenirima\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T15:23:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T14:23:31","slug":"portret-tomislav-livaja-aka-babaseka-svacija-i-nicija-baba-universalis-uzivo-i-na-suvenirima","status":"publish","type":"vidi-i-dozivi","link":"https:\/\/visitslavoniabaranja.com\/en\/vidi-i-dozivi\/portret-tomislav-livaja-aka-babaseka-svacija-i-nicija-baba-universalis-uzivo-i-na-suvenirima\/","title":{"rendered":"PORTRAIT: TOMISLAV LIVAJA aka BABASEKA Everyone\u2019s and no one\u2019s – Baba Universalis, both in person and in souvenir form"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Babaseka is an utterly genuine character, drawn by the multi-talented Tomislav Livaja from his own well of intellect, art, emotion, and life experience.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaning against a massive turquoise wooden gate on Osje\u010dka Street in Sarva\u0161, a village near Osijek, awaits my two-in-one host \u2013 Tomislav Livaja and his alter ego, Babaseka<\/a><\/em>, 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\u2019s either hired to mingle with visitors or perform her stand-up, Tomislav met me \u201coff-stage\u201d for the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dreams becoming reality<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had our cup of coffee with homemade elderflower juice, properly \u201cbaba-style.\u201d Though Babaseka isn\u2019t 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 Dubo\u0161evica, Tomislav dreams of creating an art incubator<\/em> 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\u2026, and workshops for both children and adults. For now, the house regularly hosts Trobozanke<\/em>, a group of kindred spirits and folklore leaders: five women and four men who, as he says, \u201csing mainly for themselves.\u201d Recently they\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Born in 1991 in Slakovci, Tomislav grew up in Privlaka, his mother\u2019s hometown, which is where the original Babaseka, his grandmother Anica lived as well. She was recognized as an authentic ambassador of the region\u2019s spirit and a true tourism brand. Souvenirs with her image, produced by Tomislav\u2019s small craft business Stara fela<\/em>, 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<\/em> chat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBabaseka isn\u2019t a \u0160okica drag queen<\/em>, though some have tried to label her that way. I don\u2019t mind drag performers, but Babaseka doesn\u2019t have that vibe or aesthetic. She does balance between folklore and subversion \u2014 that, I\u2019ll admit,\u201d says Tomislav.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Babaseka stepped out of anonymity when Tomislav illustrated Filip Golubov Car\u2019s book. \u201cIt 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\u2019s when it clicked: T-shirts, tote bags, badges, magnets, patches, aprons, music boxes, puzzles, cake tins\u2026 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 \u2014 and Babaseka was born. Her spirit resonates with everyone because she\u2019s everyone\u2019s and no one\u2019s granny,\u201d he smiles. \u201cBaba Universalis<\/em>,\u201d I joke. \u201cYes \u2014 the all-granny, the borg-baba<\/em>,\u201d he replies. \u201cMaybe the Blade Runner baba<\/em>?\u201d I add, and we both burst into laughter \u2014 not mocking her, no way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The artist, the teacher, the craftsman<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jokes aside, slipping into a skirt was never enough. Babaseka isn\u2019t a mask, nor merely a parody. She\u2019s a deeply honest creation, the artistic offspring of a painter, graphic designer, sculptor, writer, singer, and player of bagpipes, diple<\/em>, flutes, and samica<\/em>; 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Souvenirs bearing her face have become genuine cultural artefacts as they\u2019re proudly local, yet universally relatable, carrying the signature of a versatile artist who refuses to sell a sugar-coated version of rural life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s just fifteen percent of what I\u2019ve got planned,\u201d he says with a grin as we part ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact:<\/strong> Obrt \u201eStara fela\u201c, Osje\u010dka ulica 37, Sarva\u0161; Facebook: Babaseka<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written by: Ivana Rab Gulja\u0161<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 Osje\u010dka Street in Sarva\u0161, a village near Osijek, awaits my two-in-one host \u2013 Tomislav Livaja and his alter ego, Babaseka, the village granny. When […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":18030,"template":"","categories":[242,240],"tags":[772,773,296,775,774,290],"class_list":["post-18049","vidi-i-dozivi","type-vidi-i-dozivi","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-see-and-feel","tag-babaseka-en","tag-obrt-stara-fela-en","tag-slavonija-en","tag-souvenir","tag-stand-up-en","tag-tradition"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPORTRAIT: TOMISLAV LIVAJA aka BABASEKA Everyone\u2019s and no one\u2019s - Baba Universalis, both in person and in souvenir form - Turisti\u010dka zajednica Osje\u010dko-baranjske \u017eupanije<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/visitslavoniabaranja.com\/en\/vidi-i-dozivi\/portret-tomislav-livaja-aka-babaseka-svacija-i-nicija-baba-universalis-uzivo-i-na-suvenirima\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PORTRAIT: TOMISLAV LIVAJA aka BABASEKA Everyone\u2019s and no one\u2019s - Baba Universalis, both in person and in souvenir form - Turisti\u010dka zajednica Osje\u010dko-baranjske \u017eupanije\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Babaseka is an utterly genuine character, drawn by the multi-talented Tomislav Livaja from his own well of intellect, art, emotion, and life experience. 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