This card by local artist Christian Markovic is perfect for Valentine’s Day. Courtesy of Fuzzy Wuzzy Design
“I started drawing in preschool when I was only three,” says artist Christian Markovic. “I was learning words and how to talk, so I would draw pictures to tell stories. I was drawing everything—animals, people, monsters,” he says.
Deaf since age two, Markovic was eventually diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a degenerative nerve disorder. By the time he was 20, he was declared legally blind, though he persisted and, in 1997, became the first deaf graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design. When finding work after graduation proved a challenge, Markovic launched Fuzzy Wuzzy Design, a company that features his handcrafted designs on greeting cards and clothing. The Morristown resident says he named the company Fuzzy Wuzzy because that’s how everything looked to him as he gradually lost his sight.
Early on, Markovic created his work on a Mac computer, using a zoom program to magnify his designs by up to 10x so that he could see them, but by 45, Markovic was completely blind, deaf and mobility impaired.
Now, Markovic has an assistant who helps him design his work. He continues to draw and paint (“I always loved to paint, as I liked the freedom of creating and mixing the colors myself,” he says) and recently took up sculpting. His work can be found at the General Store in Montclair, Just Jersey in Morristown, and Whole Foods Markets in West Orange and Morristown. His message to other people dealing with impairments? “Always be yourself.”
To see Markovic’s work, visit fuzzywuzzydesign.com or his Etsy store.