Šuštaršič was born on 13 November 1927 in Cerknica and died on 27 March 1976 in Ljubljana. His studies at the grammar school in Celje were interrupted by World War II. During the war his family was deported to Serbia, where he joined the Partisan army in 1944 and was severely wounded in 1945. Having completed his studies at the grammar school in Celje after the war, he studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana (1947-1951, Prof. Gabrijel Stupica). He then went on to pursue post-graduate studies in mural painting from 1951 to 1953 in the class of Prof. S. Pengov. He furthered his studies in Paris (1956; 1961 on a prize from the IInd Paris Biennial, he spent five months in the studio of J. Friedlaender) and the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Den Haag 1958). At first he exhibited with his colleagues who formed Group 53 (Skupina 53). Later, he participated at major international and federal Yugoslav exhibitions, popular in the 1960's and 1970's (including Documenta'64 in Kassel), where he received a number of awards. He was a recipient of the Prešeren Award in 1962. He was a member of Group 69 (Grupa 69). As early as 1953 he also worked as an art teacher. He was employed as a teacher in grammar schools in Kranj, the Prule experimental primary school, the School of Design (1962-1967) and the Academy of Education in Ljubljana (1967-1973). From 1973 until his death he held the position of assistant professor of painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana. He was mainly occupied with painting (his style is described as "psychological realism"), graphic art and mural painting.