Ivan Rabuzin was born in a small village Kljuc, near Novi Marof, Croatia. He went to Zagreb where he trained in cabinet making and carpentry. In 1950, he became a foreman in a furniture factory in Novi Marof.

When he was not working at the factory, he was creating drawings and paintings of his native countryside. In 1956, his artworks were displayed at his first one-man show in Novi Marof. In 1958, Ivan Rabuzin won "first prize" at the Exhibition of Yugoslav Amateur Painters in Zagreb. His second one-man show was held at the Gallery of Naïve Art in Zagreb. This marked the start of his successful art career. In 1963, he quit his job at the furniture factory and started painting fulltime. In 1969, R...