Artist Biographies - Freedom on the Fence

Freedom on the Fence
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A Digital Documentary Project

Artist Biographies There are many important artists who have contributed to the powerful history of the Polish poster and it is impossible to mention them all. This is a brief summary of several significant artists who are highlighted in Freedom on the Fence.
Roman Cieślewicz, 1930-1996 Born in Lwów and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow. He lived and worked in Paris since 1963. He worked in poster art, book typography, photomontage and collage. Major awards: WAG Trepkowski Prize 1955; Film Poster Exhibition, Warsaw 1956, Central Film Office Prize; International Film Poster Exhibition, Karlove Vary 1964, first prize; National Poster Biennale, Katowice, Silver Medal 1965, Gold Medal 1967, 1971; International Poster Biennale, Warsaw, Gold Medal 1972, Bronze Medal 1984; Polish Poster Biennale, Katowice 1973, Gold Medal; Poster Biennale, Lahti 1993, second prize.
Stasys Eidrigevicius, 1949- Born in Modinishki, Lithuania and studied at the Institute of Fine Arts in Vilna. He has lived in Poland since 1980. He works in painting, book illustration, theater design, and posters. Major awards: International Film Festival, Chicago 1987, film poster competition Gold Jugo; International Art Directors Club Exhibition, New York 1988, Silver Medal; Polish Poster Biennale, Katowice 1989, Bronze Medal; Poster Biennale, Lahti 1989, Grand Prix; Warsaw 1990, Bronze Medal; International Biennale of the Poster, Mexico 1990, third prize; International Poster Triennale, Toyama 1994, Gold Medal.
Wiktor Górka, 1922-2004 Born in Komorowice and studied at the Cracow Academy of Fine Arts. He taught art in Mexico from 1971-1991. Major awards: International Poster Exhibition, Karlove Vary, Second Prize 1964; International Exhibition of Tourism Posters, Milan, first prize 1967, best poster of the year in the category of cultural posters, Warsaw 1968.
Mieczysław Górowski, 1941- Born in Nowy Sącz and studied at the the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow. He currently teaches there. He works in poster design, applied design, interior design and painting. Major awards: International Poster Invitational, Fort Collins, Colorado, 1983, first prize; International Poster Triennale, Toyama 1985, Bronze Medal; International Poster Salon, Paris awards, 1986, 1987; International Art Directors Club Exhibition, New York 1987, award; International Biennale of the Poster, Mexico 1992, first prize in the category "America today, 500 years later."
Jan Lenica, 1928-2002 Born in Poznań and studied in the Faculty of Architecture at the Poznań Technical University. He worked in satirical cartoon drawing, illustration, graphic art and graphic design, exhibition design, scenography, posters, animated films. Major awards: National Exhibition of Illustration, Posters and Small Format Graphics, Warsaw, 1955, first prize; Film Poster Exhibition, Warsaw 1956, Central Film Office prize; Toulouse-Lautrec Grand Prix, Versailles 1961; International Film Poster Exhibition, Karlove Vary 1962, first and third prizes, International Poster Biennale, Warsaw 1966, gold Medal; International Tourism Poster Exhibition, Catania, 1971, Gold Medal; Prix Jules Cheret, France 1985.
Jan Młodożeniec, 1929-2002 Born in Warsaw and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw in the Department of Graphic Arts and Posters in the studio of Henryk Tomaszewski. He worked in posters, drawing, book and publication design, and illustration. Major awards: Film Poster Exhibition, Warsaw, 1956, Polish Central Film Office Award; International Film Poser Exhibiton, Vienna 1965, second prize; Polish Poster Biennale, Katowice, Silver Medal 1971, Bronze Medal 1977, Gold and Bronze Medals, 1981; International Poster Biennale, Warsaw 1980, Gold Medal; Poster Biennale, Lahti 1983, first prize.
Tomasz Sarnecki, 1966- Born in Warsaw and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. He works in illustration, graphic design and posters. He designed the 1989 "High Noon" Solidarity Poster.
Franciszek Starowieyski, 1930- Born in Cracow and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow. He works in graphic design, drawing, theater, television scenography, murals and posters. He was the originator of the "Theater of Drawing." Major Awards: International Biennale of the Arts, Sao Paulo 1973, award; Cannes Film Festival 1974, film poster award; International Poster Biennale, Warsaw, Silver Medal 1974, 1978; International Film Festival, Chicago, film poster Gold Plaque 1979, film poster competition Silver Hugo 1982.
Waldemar Świerzy, 1931- Born in Katowice in 1931 and studied at the Katowice Branch of the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow. He currently teaches at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. He works in posters, publication, design, illustration and exhibition design. Major awards; WAG Trepkowski Award, 1956; Toulouse-Lautrec Grand Prix, Versailles 1959; Polish Poster Biennale, Katowice, Gold Medal, 1965, 1971, 1975, Silver Medal 1977, 1987, 1989; International Tourism Poster Exhibition, Mediolan 1967, Silver Medal; International Biennale of the Arts, Sao Paulo 1969, first prize; International Poster Biennale, Warsaw, Silver Medal 1972, Gold Medal 1976.
Henryk Tomaszewski, 1914-2005 Born in Warsaw and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. He taught there from 1952-1985 and was granted the title Honorary Royal Designer for Industry by the Royal Society of Arts, London. Though he studied commercial art, satirical illustrations and stage design, he devoted himself to poster design for most of his career. He was highly influential as a professor and many of his students went on to become influential poster artists in Poland. Major awards: International Biennale of the Arts, Sao Paulo 1963, first prize; International Poster Biennale, Warsaw, Silver and Gold Medals 1988, Bronze Medal 1994; National Poster Biennale, Katowice 1967, Gold Medal; Polish Poster Biennale, Katowice, Silver Medal 1975, 1977, Grand Prix 1979, first prize; International Poster Triennale, Toyama, Bronze Medal 1991, Silver Medal 1994.
Wiesław Wałkuski, 1956- Born in Bialystok and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. He works in painting, illlustration and posters. Major awards: International Film Festival, Chicago 1986, Best Poster Gold Plaque; International Biennale of the Poster, Mexico 1990, second prize; International Art Directors Club Exhibition, New York 1992, Silver Medal; International Theater Poster Biennale, Rzeszów 1993, third prize.