Ferdinand Kulmer was a Croatian abstract painter and teacher.
He studied at the Budapest Academy of Fine Arts, the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts, and took special classes with Đuro Tiljak. Kulmer worked in the studio of Krsto Hegedušić, and for many years was a professor at the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts.
Kulmer's paintings tend towards abstract or semi-abstract scenes, with his early compositions based on still life or interiors featuring calligraphic brushwork. He developed a more heavily textured style, turning later to a looser, more gestural style with mythical themes that includes dancing calligraphic shapes. He designed costumes for two films by Vatroslav Mimica and Veljko Bulajic.
Member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
In 1990, Kulmer received the Vladimir Nazor Award for lifetime achievement in the visual arts.