Sofija Naletilić-Penavuša

Sofija Naletilić 'Penavuša' (6 January 1913 – 22 June 1994) was a Croatian naïve sculptor from Herzegovina. Her art helped her to deal with the tragedy.

Work She was discovered by art critic and writer Dubravko Horvatić. She had her first solo exhibition in 1982 in Zagreb in a private gallery Schira at age 69 . The most valuable and numerous part of the author's oeuvre is her "bestiary" – sculptures of simplified and stylized animals shaped and painted with a touch of mysticism and dreaminess.

In 1985, Naletilić was named person of the year in a survey by Start magazine.

Overall she produced over 7,000 sculptures.

On the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the birth of Sofija Naletilić Penavuša, in 2023, the Franciscan Museum and Gallery in Široki Brijeg had an exhibition of thirty-four sculptures from its own holdings. The 2024 edition of the theatre festival Mostar Spring, organized by Matica hrvatska, began with an exhibition of works by Sofija Naletilić.