Zachęta – National Gallery of Art

curator: Janusz Janowski, PhD

The ‘Master of the Line’ from Kalisz, a sensitive humanist, a careful observer of his native land or a participant in distant artistic journeys — the figure of Tadeusz Kulisiewicz is undoubtedly linked to a multitude of contexts and stages of creative evolution, which is why the exhibition Kulisiewicz: Succinct Beauty is the story of how individual chapters of the artist’s life shaped his original and outstanding expressive language over the years.

The course of this multi-layered story takes the viewer into the world of woodcuts from the Szlembark series and pre-war drypoint prints, to then show the wealth of drawings created through many technical, stylistic and thematic explorations, transformations or experiments. All this to reveal to us the essence of the artist’s artistry — the iconic ‘Kulisiewicz line’.

This broad framing of the subject provides a unique selection of works, not previously shown in a single space. The exhibition will feature includes an extensive selection of prints, drawings, and sketches created throughout the artist’s life, including during his numerous travels to China, India, South America and Cuba. The works shown come from a number of galleries and museums such as the National Museum in Warsaw, the Asia-Pacific Museum and Zachęta — National Gallery of Art, as well as the Museum of the Polish Army and the Museum of Warsaw. A significant part of the exhibition is made up of the private collections of Wanda and Leonard Pietraszak, Jacek Kudelski and Jacek Łozowski.

The exhibition is enriched with a comprehensive historical and cultural context: extensive archival documentation, press, books, theatre and film stills and documentaries.

In addition, the exhibition is accompanied by a lavishly illustrated catalogue with reproductions of the artist’s most interesting and important works, including texts by Dr Janusz Janowski, Dr Anna Manicka and a memoir by the artist’s friends, Wanda and Leonard Pietraszak, as well as a timeline compiled by Zuzanna Sękowska. Thanks to such careful preparation, the exhibition enables the artist’s work and personality to be captured with an insight that is almost characteristic of Kulisiewicz.